Under the Dragon's Watchful Eye
by Yuumei Sendo
Summary: Yuumei and Fay are 'illegally' in the Human World. Koenma decides to find out what they're really up to. A hidden threat appears. What if the girls weren't the evil ones? Will Koenma trust them? Is Hiei the only one not bothered by them?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything with Yu Yu Hakusho...and I don't want to.

YSendo: Hello...

Chapter 1

The girl's wretched screams echoed over the barren land as the silver dragon dug its large claws into her shoulders, holding her down ruthlessly. She screamed louder as she felt the talons dig deeper and deeper, forcing horrendous streams of crimson blood to gush onto the white snow. Her stormy gray eyes widened as the pain registered and threatened to shatter the remains of her sanity. She shut them in an attempt to erase the blood from her vision. Red on white, her pain on pure snow tore at her soul.

The dragon itself was watching through its pure silver eyes as the blood gushed out onto the snow. He would love to simply sit and bleed the girl dry with sadistic pleasure, but the accursed demon was shouting to continue. _'Really, does this common mortal expect to be able to control _me_? How disgusting,'_ he thought with a scowl only a dragon can muster. He sighed and whipped his thick, powerful tail with an impatient air. The demon screamed again for the ritual to continue and Fukigen decided that he was just too annoying; he looked at the girl once more. He flexed his jaws and ran his icy blue tongue over his dozens of sharp teeth. He could almost taste the blood and the flesh.

With a quick, graceful movement, Fukigen bit deeply into the girl's back and growled in satisfaction as the blood poured into his mouth. The girl screamed again. The demon let out the breath he was holding unaware. He smirked at the sight and knew his plan has worked. Fukigen felt his power flow through the gashes in the young girl's back as the ritual began. He closed his beautiful silver eyes and enjoyed his last meal as a free dragon. After a few minutes, his entire body was engulfed in a silver glow and penetrated the girl's skin. The absorption was complete.

The demon ambled forward, ignorant of the fact that under the wine-red hair that shadowed her face, the girl's eyes glowed silver. She heard a deep hiss in the back of her mind and words flew from an unknown being inside her skull. _'See what he has done to me?'_ the voice hissed again, _'Kill him, do not let him have me, or you. You are the one I chose.'_ The girl stood up and listened to the voice, unaware of the demon slowly coming closer. _'With my help, you can thrive. You can avenge your brother and live without fear.'_ The demon came closer and Yuumei looked at him through her blurred vision. She smiled calmly.

"You're the one?" she asked with a slight wince at the screaming inside her head. _'You _fool._ You must kill him. Kill him, _now_!'_ Yuumei decided that she has had enough. She raised her hand and bid the demon to come closer. As he did, she quickly grabbed his neck and twisted it sharply to the left. A bone snapped loudly, creating an echo on the barren land. She released the body and said aloud, "I do not want _you _controlling me."

'_As you wish, girl, but I will not allow you to kill me.'_

"Agreed, you can take control if you feel that you are endangered, but only then."

'_You are quite unrelenting. I find that amusing.'_

"I'm glad someone is amused by this," Yuumei muttered with a smirk.

* * *

Meanwhile, a girl with silky blue hair and gorgeous silver eyes yelled at the demons surrounding her.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

The demons ignored her shouts and moved closer to her, trapping her on the cliff. Fay looked down at the churning waters of the black sea. She saw several sharp, hard, and most likely painful rocks in the water as well. _'Oh, great, this is perfect. I can either be captured or I can jump and skewer myself.'_ She looked back at the demons and made her decision.

She knelt and, with a surprising amount of grace, flipped backwards off the cliff. She fell through the air upright and crossed her arms across her chest. _'Talk about a long fall.' _ When she at last hit the water, she felt a shocking pain in her head as it collided with a rock. She felt her lungs release the only breathing air she could get and closed her eyes, accepting her fate. Then, she heard it. It was like a gentle song, the shifting of the waters. She opened her eyes to slits and saw the outline of a giant creature heading her way. She watched it gracefully weave through the rocks at an amazing speed and stop in front of her. The gentle blue eyes glittered with gentleness and pity a mother could emit. Fay felt the serpent-like body wrap around her waist and watched with curiosity as the face of the beast aligned with hers.

Seisui gazed at the girl she caught for a long time. She felt her insides churn like the surface waters when she though of eating this creature. She decided against it. She gazed thoughtfully at the waters over the girl's shoulder. _'This place is so dangerous. Maybe it's time to leave the ocean.'_ Seisui focused on the girl again and looked at the girl's chest before turning into a form of water and plunging deeply into her skin.

Fay felt the sudden pain and started to squirm in the water. She felt the dragon digging deeper into her soul and mind. She regained enough sense to try to swim to the surface with what little life she had. Fay almost got to the surface when she felt the darkness of unconsciousness pull her back into the water. She reached up to maybe find something.

She felt something grab her hand in a strong grip. Fay was pulled up onto a small beach beside the cliff and rolled on her back. She breathed in deeply then coughed up the water in her lungs. She felt her body live again as she breathed the oxygen in the air. Something stood above her, blocking the sun and Fay noticed gray eyes.

"Drink this," the being demanded throwing a bottle filled with green liquid on Fay's stomach. Fay grabbed the bottle and drank the contents. Her vision sharpened and she felt energy pulse through every part of her body. "Now, get up."

Fay did as instructed and looked down slightly at the girl. She was only an inch shorter than Fay, probably about five feet. "Yuumei," the girl said as she held out her hand in greeting. Fay blinked and shook hands with the demon girl. "Fay," she replied.

The girls heard the screams of a gang of demons, though only Fay recognized them. She crossed her arms and pouted. "Why don't they ever leave me alone?"

Yuumei smirked slightly at the comment; then, she turned to the demons with a scowl. "What do you want?"

The demons pointed at Fay and moved to grab her, but a large leathery wing blocked them. "Leave us be," Yuumei commanded with a flap of her wings to emphasize her point, "or else."

The demons looked at each other and moved forward anyway. Yuumei sighed; people are so difficult to deal with these days. She quickly unsheathed her sword and sliced through the first row of demons. The rest fled. Yuumei chuckled loudly.

"I doubt they'll bug us again." Fay started to laugh along with Yuumei and the pair eventually collapsed with laughter. Fay heard a giggle in the back of her mind and laughed even harder. _'Now I'm really going insane.'_ Yuumei, meanwhile, heard Fukigen's dark chuckle and smirked.

* * *

A couple years later, Yuumei and Fay walked down the street filled with humans and ate their respective ice-cream cones. Yuumei enjoyed the dark chocolate ice-cream that was only available at the one particular store they always go to. Fukigen growled in joy at the treat. Fay ate through her vanilla cone with zeal. Seisui giggled at the brain-freeze she was going to get. Over the years, Fay grew a couple inches, now she was at 5' 4"; Yuumei grew only two inches throughout this time.

The summer sun was glaring down at the girls, making Fay's various tattoos glint. The small crystal, icicle-shaped hair ornaments clanked together as Yuumei walked.

"It's nice to not have to worry about anything," Fay said while she held a hand to her head to ease the pain.

"Yes, it is nice to only have to worry about what you eat and how fast you eat it." Yuumei continued eating her cone. She stopped suddenly, her tongue still licking the chocolate treat. Fay looked over at her with a raise brow. "What is it? And can you please not do that?"

Yuumei ignored her request. "Someone is following us," she said, biting her tongue in the process. "Ouch."

Fay laughed and Fukigen whimpered from embarrassment. If he had a body, he would probably blush. Yuumei silenced Fay with a glare and signaled her to follow. The girls walked at their previous pace, but turned into, what they knew, an alley that lead to a labyrinth of alleys. They heard footsteps behind them. The pair weaved in and out of alleys and ended up at a dead end. The footsteps behind them stopped.

"Hey, girls, stop. We need you to come with us." Yuumei and Fay turned to see three boys in their teen years waiting a couple feet behind them. The one with long red hair stepped forward and requested, "Please, all we need is for you to see someone."

Yuumei and Fay shared a look and turned fully towards the boys. All of them were tall and seemingly out of patience. One had brown eyes and black hair that was pulled back and anchored with hair gel. One was big, buff and watched the girls though black eyes. He had orange hair. The last had long, bright red hair and wise, clever emerald-green eyes. Fay examined each with a cold, ruthless gaze. Yuumei turned her attention to the surrounding area. Something was off. _'Someone is hiding their energy, Darkened Heart.' _Yuumei knew that Fukigen knew more than her on such matters so she raised her guard. Fay did the same. The boy with black hair stepped forward threateningly.

"You will come with us, now. You got that?" Yuumei sighed.

"We're not pea-brains like you three." Fay's rude retort escaped her mouth almost of its own will. Yuumei shot her a glare. The boy with red hair decided to try his luck. "We mean you no harm, we simply would like to show you to someone impor-"

Yuumei cut him off. "We do not need to see anyone. We are causing no trouble; in fact, we should turn you in," she pointed at the group accusingly with a pale finger, "for disturbing our peace and stalking us for two blocks."

"I'm sorry; we didn't want to walk into a conversation or something similar to that."

Yuumei glanced at Fay and rolled her eyes up. Fay understood the signal and knelt down as if to defend herself. Yuumei followed soon after.

"Now, girls, we don't need to fight." This time the last of the boys, the tallest, spoke. But Yuumei and Fay had other things on their minds. Fay's stunning silver wings emerged and she flapped them once to settle the feathers. Yuumei's own white leathery wings formed. As the sun reflected off their surface, the familiar trace of icy blue on the wings stood out. The pair pushed off from the ground and, with the powerful wings, shot upward. The demon that Yuumei sensed standing behind them moved quickly. Zipping from wall to wall, almost gliding in the space between the two buildings, he was hard to spot, such was his speed.

Yuumei flapped her wings and grabbed Fay's shoulder to speed her up. Yuumei had no idea why she was feeling this terrified. There was something about this demon that spiked all her senses into panic. Something like a whisper echoed through her mind. _'He wields great power. He will destroy you without mercy, without thought.'_ Yuumei couldn't look back, she had to get out. He would reach them, he would destroy them. Fay started to fly faster and Yuumei pulled harder. _'He will not blink at your death. He wants to kill you. His power is too great,' _the whisper continued. Yuumei saw the sunlight that marked the end of the buildings. Their freedom was right there, and yet, it seemed like such a long distance. Yuumei felt as though they were standing still and he was getting closer with every second. He was almost upon them. She heard his quick steps as he flitted here, then there, as if trying to confuse her, to make her look back. To stop her and kill her. Her vision started to blur and she strived to fly faster. She heard the demon jump and almost felt his presence upon them. Yuumei was being overwhelmed by the despair, the total helplessness. She couldn't fly anymore, but she had to. She had to escape. Her instincts came alive, but he almost reached her. She felt him not two inches from her body. The freedom, so far. They can't make it.

Fay and Yuumei shot out from between the buildings, into the summer sky. They turned and Fay tried to regain her breath. Yuumei risked a glance back at the gap between the buildings. Her gray eyes met a glowing red and her panic was renewed. She fought to conceal it as she followed Fay through the slowly darkening sky. The whisper was renewed, with almost a burning intensity. _'He will hunt you. You have no chance. You are now a pawn in his game. And his being is out for your blood. There's no escape. No escape.' _Yuumei's mind started to crash from the strain to contain the pain, the anguish. She looked back again.

A single black being was perched on the tallest peak of a building. _'A pawn in his game.'_ She caught a glint of red eyes. Murderous red eyes.

* * *

YSendo: Review if you like...if you don't shrug> then don't... 


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or anything related to it...

YSendo: Hello... thanks Forver to Wander..I dedicate this you and Hiei bows deeply>.

  
Chapter 2

Yuumei stared at the mirror and searched her reflection's eyes for the answer. _'No escape!'_ The claim was so sudden, so fierce that Yuumei exclaimed in fear. Fay's footsteps echoed in the hall.

"Are you alright, Mei?" she asked harshly. Yuumei sat down on the floor and covered her face with her hands. _'Darkened Heart, why the scream? Is there something bothering you?' _Fukigen's voice was a glimmer of hope on the bleak horizon. Yuumei was not lost yet. She still had him, but the whisper was troubling. Yuumei closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the cold tiles that covered the walls. "Mei!" Fay's call sounded desperate and demanding. Yuumei let her hands drop to her sides. "I'm okay," she said loudly; then she fell into a deep, brooding silence.

* * *

Fay heard no more from the other side of the bathroom door. She walked back down the hall and into the living room. Grabbing the remote, she jumped lightly onto the couch. She changed the channel. Then, since she was absolutely bored, she watched what was on and unconsciously threw up the remote only to catch it.

The remote clanked onto the floor covered by dark granite tiles. A wave of fear swept over Fay with a ruthless drive. _'The water is not clear, is it? It's not blood. Or is it?' _ Fay jumped up and felt the shards of terror embed themselves within her flesh. _'You have to save him, don't you?'_ Fay shut her eyes, only to be caught up in the tide. It swept her out into the ocean of her memories and the blood closed around her. She tried to swim up, but the water, the blood, whatever it was; it wouldn't let her. She tried to swim faster, she had to survive. The bubbling arose. A monster from the deep. _'Fay. Fay, you've got to help me.'_ No, Fay told herself, this is not real. It can't be. It isn't. _'Fay.'_ But the voice was so familiar, so close. She needed to help him, she couldn't let him die. She gazed around, but the liquid stung her eyes. _'Fay. Don't leave me here.'_

She attempted to swim down, where the voice was coming from. It was easier, going down. _'Fay, Fay. Please, I can't breathe.'_ Fay rushed downward. She had to find him, she had to save him. She couldn't let him die like before. She needs to know what happened. A distant cry jumbled Fay's mind even more.

"Fay!"

Fay looked around, but the sting; and the boy. The blood! He was going to die, he needed her help. She had to swim deeper; she had to find him. _'Fay. Fay, hurry. Please, I need help.'_ The bubbles arouse once more. He must be out of breath. The pressure started to push on her, trying to crack her skull in. The blood suddenly got darker. The scent was fresh. The echo of a scream reached her ears. _"NO," _Fay heard herself cry out in anguish,_ "NO." _She hovered, floating, in the blood, his scent wrapping itself around her like a snake. Threatening to squeeze out whatever life she had left. She couldn't save him. Just like all those years ago. She couldn't. She dived down once more, feeling her life lose all the strength she gathered over the years since she has had to live through this. She had to save him. There was still time.

"Fay!"

Fay's vision suddenly cleared. The blood dissolved and she found that she could breathe again. She floated in darkness now. She looked around, wondering what will happen. She opened her eyes slowly.

Yuumei sighed as she glimpsed the silver of her friend's eyes and she felt relief spread though her body.

"You were dreaming." Fay sat up from the couch. She looked around.

"No," she replied, "it wasn't a dream, more of a vision. I didn't fall asleep."

Yuumei turned to the window and her eyes glazed over. _'You cannot escape the game; you are the only other player.'_ She shook her head promptly. "Then, what happened?"

Fay stared out the window as well. "I don't fully understand it myself. It's just, suddenly, I felt cold. I blacked out and I saw the lake again. I tried to save the boy."

Yuumei understood. She herself saw what happened at the lake of blood. She never heard the screams so many have reported hearing, however. A boy that screamed for help from within the blood; someone who knew your name, but you never met them. The lack of a logical explanation to the situation alone was enough to spark a glimmer of fear in Yuumei.

"It's only an illusion. There is no proof the boy exists." _ 'At least, not known by anyone other than my family,'_ she added silently. The Sendo clan knows that the boy existed. Not only did they know he existed, Yuumei's great-grandfather was the one who killed him. Her father had to make his family 'disappear' as well; the demons in the lands of Northern Demon World were starting to get suspicious. The clan did not want any unwanted attention from King Enma or his son.

"But it looked so real." Fay shook her head. "Let's just forget it."

Yuumei nodded and went back to her room as Fay drew a steadying breath. She sat back on the couch and grabbed the fallen remote.

* * *

Yuumei sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by her pale crimson energy. _'The great power he possesses will destroy you.'_ She relaxed a bit more, trying to listen to the whisper once more. She readied her energy. The whisper came again and her energy was able to lock onto the power. She stood up quickly and jumped out the open window, following the traces of her own power. She jumped from roof to roof; up and down, sometimes left, sometimes right. The hostile power that has been speaking to her ever since the alley got stronger the closer she got. She halted on a blue-shingle roof and looked at the group of boys. She recognized three as the ones who stopped Fay and herself in the alley. The other one, she realized, was the one who tried to catch them. The red eyes, the black hair with the white starburst that before Yuumei only saw as a blur - he was moving too fast for her to see in detail. He was the one from which the power radiated. Yuumei sat back and watched the boys curiously.

"We could've followed them!" the taller one with black hair yelled at the green eyed beauty.

"Yusuke, we must be patient. I'm sure we will find them again." His hair fluttered as a sudden gust of wind stuck. The shortest, the one with red eyes, looked at the boy though narrowed eyes.

"And then they'll escape again, I'm sure." His voice was deeper than Yuumei predicted it would be, but the dangerous tone was expected. She watched with pride as the demon intimidated the humans by just standing there. _'Humans are such weak fools,'_ she thought while moving a bit to get more comfortable on the roof.

"Shrimp, if we wanted your advice, we'd ask for it!" the tallest of them stated, almost in paranoia. The ends of Yuumei's mouth twitched in concealed amusement.

"Kuwabara, Hiei, this is no time to act like children." That red head was really getting annoying, Yuumei realized, such a shame. He is beautiful. Hiei, the demon, scowled at his companion and hopped into a nearby tree. Yuumei tuned out another remark from the whisper as she watched the demon with caution. He would be able to see her if he looked her way. He just laid back and closed his eyes. Whether he was aware of her or not, Yuumei couldn't tell. Meanwhile, she turned her attention back to the group.

"Kurama, how are we supposed to track them down, anyway?" Yusuke asked thoughtfully.

"I don't know. If we see them we'll just have to act." The three started to walk off to the direction of the park. Hiei stayed behind. Yuumei sat up and sighed. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Hiei's eyelids flutter at the sound. So, he knew she was there. Yuumei decided to break the silence.

"Why are you looking for me?"

Hiei opened one eye and closed it thoughtfully after a second. "You're a demon."

"Trouble?" Yuumei asked curiously, as she jumped onto the branch above him and looked down. Hiei opened his eye once more and nodded before closing it again.

At the slight rustle of leaves and ongoing silence, Hiei opened his eyes. The demon was gone, and with her, his chance for completing the mission sooner than anticipated. He felt an itch that he couldn't scratch, like he said something he shouldn't have. He gazed at the empty branch for a couple seconds before closing his eyes and taking his overdue nap.

* * *

Yuumei felt a strange connection between the 'trouble' and Fay's 'experience'. She could only hope that she was wrong. She never again wants to face the dreaded Sadistic Game. Last time, she was almost killed as well as some of the other participants in the Game. The torture they had to endure was mental and no one was left unscarred. Fukigen felt the unrest his Darkened Heart was feeling._ 'Is there something you would like to share?'_

Yuumei thought for a moment, _"I think he's back."_

'_Who is back?'_

"_Master," _Yuumei winced at the roar that followed.

'_We will not play his game again.'_

"_I hope you're right, I really do."_

Fay rushed to the kitchen as Yuumei whistled to signal her arrival. "What is it? Anything dangerous?" She leaned against the wall and contemplated Yuumei through narrowed eyes. She drained her mind of the memories that still churned like the waters of the surface of the sea. They can wait till later; when Yuumei calls it's usually bad.

Yuumei didn't reply for a long while, seemingly pondering over something. Then, she spoke, carefully choosing her words, "Koenma's looking for someone, Fay."

Fay narrowed her eyes further, "The signal is still disrupted. No one will be able to find me." She paused. "Even if they did notice that the signal is in the city, they can't possibly be sure their radars are working properly, Seisui is more powerful than that."

Yuumei raised her hand to silence her friend, "I never said they're looking for us."

"What?"

"I met one of them," Yuumei continued, "but he wasn't set on capturing me."

Fay opened her mouth to speak, but Yuumei silenced her once more, "They know that we know each other. If they were looking for you, I would be questioned. It's someone else they're looking for."

Fay closed her eyes, "Who did you meet?"

"The short one, the one that chased us," Yuumei replied quietly. She turned to the window. "Hiei."

"What did he say?" Fay asked as she moved forward to stand next to Yuumei.

"He isn't talkative. He just pointed out that I'm a demon."

"Really?" Fay turned to look at Yuumei. "And you learned that much, thanks to that?"

Yuumei smiled, a mysterious and seductive curve of her lips, "Yes."

She reached out to touch the glass and her smile turned into a smirk. Her gray eyes met crimson red orbs. "That and so much more."

The red eyes disappeared from sight and the figure hopped into the night. Yuumei laughed slightly and glanced at Fay, who was watching to still swaying branches with widened eyes.

"Was that one of them?" Fay asked.

"Yes, that one was Hiei. See? They're not looking for us."

"I get it."

Yuumei tapped one pale finger against her chin thoughtfully. "I think that we should visit Koenma."

Fay glanced at her before moving to the fridge. She grabbed two cans of soda and threw one to Yuumei. She popped the top of her own. "You mean to find out what they want?"

"Yes."

Fay drank some of the soda. "We could just find one of the guys that followed us."

Yuumei opened her can and drank deeply from it. "We'll look for them in the morning."

She threw the can into the trash as she walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. Fay followed silently, still sipping from the can. Yuumei turned on the computer that stood in the corner as Fay sank into the soft recliner that stood nearby. The pair watched the computer boot and Yuumei typed in her password. Fay closed her eyes and listened to the rhythmic tapping of the keys as Yuumei continued to search the web for something useful to her research. After an hour or so, Fay got up and left for her room. Yuumei grabbed the file that sat on the edge of the desk and leaned back in her chair. She opened it and read some of the entries.

_"…The windows are locked as they should be, I checked twice this time. My wife is cleaning up the last of the dishes for the night; I can hear the water running. Everything is normal and I doubt that whoever broke in last night will try again. It's just too bad that Jackal's gone. He was the best guard dog that we had, and that stupid burglar shot him! I would kill him with my own two hands if I ever found him…"_

_"…I dreamt that dream again. The chains were rattling in the background, just like before. But something was off this time; there were no children in the classroom. There was only the teacher giving instructions. I sat in the last desk on the far left as always…"_

_"…I gave my love a rose tonight and asked her to meet me tomorrow again. I hope with all my heart that she will be able to escape her mother once more to see me. I will ask her to elope with me since her family will not permit our marriage. She will come with me, we shall be happy. But if for some reason she decides to stay, I will not live to see her with another…"_

Yuumei put aside the loose pages of the journals and read the letter that was next.

_"Plus cher Jane,_

_J'espère que vous allez bien. Je, pour un, sais pas dans ma meilleure santé. Je souhaite vous revoir, ma nièce, mais mes voyages sont retardé pour la raison simple des pirates. Nous sommes coincés dans ce petit port jusqu'à ce que le messager retourne avec le mot après lequel le bateau a navigué…"_

Yuumei picked up her elegant black pen and a sheet of clean paper. She translated the text quickly.

_ Dearest Jane,_

_I hope that you are well, I for one, am not in my best health. I wish to see you again, my niece, but my travels are delayed for the simple reason of pirates. We are stuck in this small port until the messenger returns with word that the ship has sailed past… _

Yuumei yawned and closed the file after placing the translated letter behind the original. She tossed it gently onto the corner of her desk and returned to the computer. Images of beautiful orchids filled the page as Yuumei continued her search. She zeroed in on the _Durabaculum nindii_. The Blue Orchid wasn't blue. It was an almost white, pale pink, and a light purple. Yuumei shook her head and turned off the computer. Switching off the monitor, she walked towards her bedroom.

* * *

YSendo: Review or don't...funny what you can learn off the internet... 


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.

YSendo: If Hiei seems wierd...that's just how he is...in my opinion of course...

Chapter 3

Papers flew and fluttered in the air as the doors were slammed open and the angry ruler glared at his employees. Everyone in the hall froze; all the ogres' eyes watched Koenma warily. Koenma held a piece of paper in his small fist and glared at everyone. After a second, everyone started to move at the same time, creating the familiar chaos of the Spirit World's offices. Koenma hovered still by the burgundy doors that led to his own office, which looked as though a hurricane called upon the household. "JORGE."

A blue ogre with a single horn on his forehead rushed out into the crowd, carrying a hot cup of coffee in one hand and a plate piled with food in the other. He tripped over a pile of papers and a green ogre that carried a pile of paperwork taller than him. Eventually he managed to reach the doors. Koenma snatched the plate from his hands and turned back to his office. "Get all we have on the two demons that are in the Human World and bring them to me."

Koenma floated into his office and the doors shut behind him with a bang. The cup of coffee flew from Jorge's hands when he jumped and landed on his foot. He hopped back into the chaos of papers and ogres on one foot, silently cursing Koenma to the Demon World.

Koenma sat in the chair behind his desk and grabbed the remote that controlled his big television screen. He grabbed a chicken leg from the plate and bit into it with zeal as he flipped through the channels. He stopped clicking buttons when he zeroed in on Yusuke walking down the street. He watched the screen with resignation. The boy will never learn to take his missions seriously. Koenma pressed a couple more buttons and paused to stare dumbly at Hiei who was taking a nap in one of the trees in the park. He glanced at his watch. It was about one in the afternoon. He continued to press buttons.

Jorge opened the door and slipped through the narrow opening. He almost instantly slipped on the papers that littered the floors. _'Oh man, Koenma was madder than usual,'_ he concluded. He ran to Koenma's desk and threw the manila folder on his desk. Koenma opened the folder impatiently. He looked at Jorge through narrowed eyes, "I told you to get me the files on _two_ demons. I see only one."

"Sorry, sir. It seems that the other is lost."

Koenma refocused on the file he had and placed the paper he held earlier next to it. He scanned the contents rapidly. He looked up from his work after a second. "What is she doing in the Human World?"

Jorge tapped his fingers together in a nervous gesture while he spoke. "It seems that Yuumei is here to research human customs and behaviors in various situations. The reason why you might not know that she is in the Human World is because your father handled her permission papers."

"And I was supposed to handle the paperwork for Spirit World," Koenma muttered.

Jorge continued, ignoring the comment, "Yuumei has done nothing to gain the attention of Spirit World authorities and her record is quite short for a demon. She is showing progress in her field in the biweekly reports she sends to King Enma."

Koenma didn't look up from his folder. "Who is her friend?"

"We do not know, sir. We believe that she is simply an acquaintance that is assisting Yuumei in her research. There is no mention of her in the reports, however. Maybe she simply wants to be anonymous."

"Get the detectives."

Jorge bowed quickly, "Yes, Lord Koenma."

He hurried out the door. Koenma yelled after him, "and get Botan, too, while you're at it!"

* * *

Yusuke folded his hands behind his head and looked up at the clouds as he turned left and continued down the sidewalk. He started to whistle a tune that he picked up when he was walking past the café. He stepped to the side as a body flew past him and crashed to the ground. He laughed and unfolded his hands, "Kuwabara, you'll never get it right at the rate you're going."

"I'm going to catch you one of these days, Urameshi," Kuwabara stated heatedly, his eyes gleamed with steel determination. He got to his feet and batted some dirt from his sleeve. "So, any news?"

"No," Yusuke continued to walk, Kuwabara right beside him, "Just what we know, the two girls are still loose and no one has any idea why they're here."

"Ah." Kuwabara fell silent as he wondered about Yukina, his one and only love. The pair moved at a leisurely pace, just cruising down the street. Each was deep in his own thoughts and didn't notice Botan until she rested her hands on their shoulders. "Hi guys!"

Yusuke narrowed his eyes in an annoyed fashion, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm you're assistant, you should show more respect," Botan chided as she waved at finger in his face. "Besides, I helped bring you back to life, in case you've forgotten; I should get some credit in favor."

"As far as I'm concerned, Koenma revived me with help from Keiko," Yusuke replied in an all-knowing tone.

Botan pouted and crossed her arms under her breasts. "He didn't have to put up with you; I should've gotten something like a raise for having to handle you!" she muttered.

Kuwabara blinked and decided that he didn't want to deal with an angry Botan. He changed the subject, "Why are you here?"

Botan clapped her hands and turned to him, "Thank you for reminding me, Kuwabara! You do have a knack for getting things back on track."

Yusuke snorted, "He's just too stupid to get side-tracked."

"Shut up, Urameshi," Kuwabara muttered. Botan clapped her hands to gain their attention, then, continued, "Koenma wants to see us. I believe he's got an update on our case."

Yusuke sighed and his shoulders drooped slightly, "Okay, let's go."

Kuwabara followed by Yusuke's side as the two raced after Botan. They arrived in Koenma's office a short time later. Kurama was already there, picking up the papers that littered the office. Koenma was trying to stack the papers into piles on the floor beside his desk. He looked up as he heard the trio arrive. "Good, now you three can either wait or help clean up."

"Yes, sir!" replied Botan as she knelt down to pick up the papers. Yusuke leaned against the wall next to Kuwabara and watched with disinterest as Koenma tidied up the space with Botan's and Kurama's help. Most of the papers were piled in neat stacks when Hiei ambled into the room. Kurama placed the last of the papers on Koenma's large desk and turned to the demon, "Nice to see that you decided to show up."

Hiei didn't reply. Instead, he moved to stand by the humans who silently now stood before the desk. Koenma sat in his oversized chair and pulled out the file on Yuumei. He spread it out on the desk. "Here, we've got one of the two demons I asked you to find."

He reached for his remote and the detectives turned to look at the screen. It flickered on and a shot of the two girls exiting an ice-cream parlor popped up. Koenma gestured at the shorter one with dark, wine-red hair that was swept back from her forehead except for four locks that framed her face. Small crystal ornaments shaped like icicles glittered at the ends of each of the four locks. A smoky-gray bandana covered her forehead and kept her hair back. She wore a black trench coat that reached her ankles and was carrying a cone with two scoops of dark brown ice-cream. There must have been a strong breeze when the picture was taken because the ends of the coat hovered, motionless, behind the girl. Through the gap provided by the wind, the boys could see a black halter top that ended right above the end of her rib cage and black pants that hugged her curves. Polished black boots gleamed on her feet. An ankh hung from a silver chain around her neck.

Yusuke looked back at Koenma as he waved his hand at the screen. "Who's the other one, then?"

Koenma looked at the other girl thoughtfully. Her hair was a deep, rich blue that appeared lighter in some places and darker in others. It was put, partially, into a high ponytail. The rest of her hair was braided into a couple braids that went past her face and bobbed gently at her shoulders. Medium-sized beads anchored the braids. A blue bandana was tied in her hair, the braids falling over it to frame her face. She wore a trench coat similar to the one that her friend had. Hers, however, seemed lighter and it fluttered in the breeze more aggressively. Under the coat, she wore a high-necked, dark-blue shirt that reflected an oriental style. The shirt ended an inch or two below her hip and was slit on both sides from the waist down. A pair of black, loose training pants covered her legs. She wore dark blue boots. She held a cone that held two scoops of vanilla ice-cream in her gloved hand. The gloves were black and blue. She had a chain around her neck, but the pendant was hidden beneath her shirt.

Koenma shrugged and looked back at the file in front of him. "We'll get to her eventually. For now, let's concentrate on Yuumei."

Hiei turned his attention to the screen and glared at the girls. Everyone was put on high alert and stressed, while these two got sweet-snow. He sighed. Life just wasn't fair anymore. He listened to Koenma drone on about the mystery behind their appearance. "Sources tell me that Yuumei, here, is researching humans. I've heard that she sends biweekly reports to my father, but I'm sure she's got her own agenda. I would like to confirm that she is here on business and not to cause trouble."

He turned to Kurama, "I want you and Hiei to look around the apartment the two have and see if you can find anything."

"What are we looking for, exactly?" Hiei muttered, still examining the picture. "Notes? Papers? Or something of more val-."

Kuwabara interrupted him, "What are we supposed to do?"

Koenma ignored the glare Hiei shot at him as he answered the human. "You and Yusuke will be watching out for the girls. I think that between the two, Hiei and Kurama can find everything I need."

"Where do they live?" Kurama asked gently.

"I know where they ar-." Hiei started.

"They live on the outskirts, here," Koenma said as he handed Kurama a small piece of paper with an address on it. Hiei sighed with a resigned air. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back against the nearby wall. He closed his eyes.

"Kuwabara, Yusuke, and Botan will look for the girls. You three will have to ask questions if you find them. Find out why they're here, who Yuumei's friend is, and if they caused any trouble." Koenma looked at the screen and turned back to his audience. "You might want to hang around that parlor."

Hiei's eyes opened and he glared daggers at Koenma. He was ignored. Kurama turned to leave. Yusuke and Kuwabara exited after him, leaving Botan, Hiei and Koenma alone. Hiei moved away from the wall and stopped at the desk. Koenma looked up from the file and watched warily. Botan skipped out the door muttering something about looking around. Hiei grabbed one of the papers, Yuumei's crime record, and scanned through it. He spoke to Koenma without looking up. "Short."

"Yes," Koenma replied with a sigh. "She doesn't need to steal or murder to survive. Her family is quite powerful in the North."

"Hn," Hiei murmured. He folded the paper in half and walked out of Koenma's office. He would have to ask that demon how she learned of the small cache of gems he hid many years ago. He didn't like to be robbed.

* * *

Yusuke sat in one of the booths and ate his double banana split slowly, concentrating on the comings and goings of the customers. Kuwabara was at the counter checking out the ice-cream parlor's flavors. Botan was chatting vigorously with the waitress. The teen behind the counter was watching the three, Yusuke noticed. The young man had night black hair with a touch of burgundy and gray, stormy eyes. He was relatively tall and handsome with a lean, powerful body. Somehow, Yusuke didn't think that he belongs in such a place.

Around noon, door opened and Yuumei entered with her friend. The waitress Botan was chatting with broke off while talking about the latest fashion and smiled at the girls. Yuumei sat in the booth closest to the counter and her friend checked out the flavors available today. Yuumei turned to the person behind the counter, "Hey, Aisu. Anything new?"

Aisu glanced up from scooping Kuwabara's choice of raspberry ice-cream and smiled lovingly. "Nope, though I've heard that there's a new restaurant opening Monday."

Yusuke watched Botan follow the waitress to Yuumei's friend. The waitress smiled. "Hey, honey. Listen, the word is out that Zakyou is opening that new club of his."

The blue-haired girl nodded, "The High Gothic."

"I wonder if Mei can get us a pass for it," the waitress giggled. "Zak is just the hottest guy around."

Yuumei spoke up from her booth, "He's also quite out of your reach, Shiro."

Kuwabara watched the blue-haired girl carefully. He smiled at her. "Hey, What's your name anyway?"

She opened her mouth, but Yuumei beat her to it, "She's Rei."

Rei glanced at Botan and Yusuke. "Yeah, Eirei Teishu is my full name."

Yusuke stood up and joined the group, "I'm Yusuke Urameshi."

"Kazuma Kuwabara."

"Botan Shigo."

Yusuke raised a brow at Botan as she stated her name. Botan simply waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. She probably talked with Koenma about it, Yusuke concluded. Yuumei took the cone of dark chocolate ice-cream and watched as Aisu got Rei her favorite. Shiro scratched her head and shoved a lock of her black hair behind her ear. Her green eyes narrowed as she looked at the entrance. Everyone turned to the door as she growled in a hostile manner. A tall, young blonde entered and winked at Aisu. Her pale blue eyes sparkled as she came forward. "Hey, Aisu. I was wondering if you'd like to come with me and a couple of my friends to that new place. High Gothic?"

Aisu smiled, his eyes regretful, "Sorry, but I promised to take Mei and Eirei already."

The blonde gave a ladylike snort of disgust, "I have no clue as to why you hang out with the losers. You could be with us!"

Yuumei watched the blonde talk about the benefits of her popularity and decided she had enough. "Aisu is going with me and I don't believe that you stand a chance of getting to him. He's taken, wench." Yuumei's lips curved back into a snarl by the time she said the last word.

The blonde clenched her fists and glared at Yuumei. "You've got a lot of nerve. My name is Annei! You're just a slut from nowhere that's probably sleeping with everyone to gain their trust."

"Mei is not a slut!" Rei defended loyally. She clenched her jaw to keep from mentioning Yuumei's origin. "She gained friends by doing them favors and helping with various things!"

"You're just defending her because she let you stay with her. Everyone knows that you don't belong here! Why don't you just go back to that gang of yours! I bet they still miss their harlot!" Annei raged, her voice rising.

That was the last straw. Rei moved. Shiro rushed to stop her from doing something she'll regret. Botan, Kuwabara and Yusuke were watching in half-horror at the chaos. Rei raised her fist to attack, but Shiro caught her arm. Yuumei's foot appeared out of nowhere and connected with Annei's calf, launching the girl across the parlor. Aisu jumped over the counter and caught Yuumei around the waist as she started to approach the fallen blonde. Annei got to her feet quickly and stood her ground. She held onto the seat of a booth to help steady herself. "You and that poor excuse for a tramp, Yuumei, should go back to whatever slums you came from! There are probably a lot of doorways where you can put your bodies to good use and not breathe our air! This place is too good for you!"

"ENOUGH," Aisu roared. He released his grip on Yuumei and stood with his feet apart and his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His stormy eyes raged.

* * *

YSendo: Review...whatever... Be evil my friends...Aisu's mad . >.> 


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.

YSendo: It's kinda depressing to only have one person review...it's making me want to write one-shots...

Chapter 4

Fay lowered her fist and watched in pure fascination as Aisu glared at Annei with malice. Aisu _never_ lost his temper. In fact, Fay didn't think that Aisu was capable of even being disagreeable, until now. Shiro watched with apparent amusement as the blonde watched in disbelief that Aisu opposed her. Yuumei started to calmly eat her ice-cream and gazed with disinterest as Aisu is about to confront Annei. The three that Fay met today were still paralyzed. She started to wonder why Yuumei introduced her as Rei. Normally, Fay adopted the pseudonym to mislead people who were under Koenma's orders.

Everything was silent in the parlor as all present were watching Aisu with wariness, amusement, horror, or, in Yuumei's case, indifference. Aisu seemed oblivious to the stares; his attention was focused on Annei. He has never met anyone as annoying as this hussy. He took a foreboding step forward and Annei jumped slightly, but kept her ground.

Annei was stunned, as if Aisu just slapped her. She found her voice, but it was strained and slightly squeaky. "You stay out of this."

"Not a word," Aisu mumbled, as he took another step forward.

Annei panicked and stepped back, only to bump into the table of the booth. "Aisu, please. You're scaring me. Stop it."

"Quiet." He stepped closer.

"I'm sorry. Just stop it, Aisu. I'm scared." Annei broke into a run as she raced to the door. Aisu rushed to stop her. He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her back. Hard. Annie felt as if her arm was being ripped off as she flew back a few feet. She gazed at Aisu with fear and saw the storm that was in his eyes. She pushed it too far. She had to get out. Annei tried again to dodge past him and reach the exit. Aisu rammed his fist into her stomach as she passed him. She swayed and stepped backwards. Her hand flew to her midsection to try and ease the pain. Aisu was moving towards her again. She tried to escape once more. She was able to evade him, but he slammed his elbow back, hitting her between the shoulder blades. The force of the blow sent her reeling forward and closer to the door. Annei caught her balance and rushed out, tears falling rapidly. She was sore and helpless.

After Annei left, Aisu allowed himself to calm down. He got back behind the counter and glared at the door. Yuumei walked towards the street. She stopped to look back. "Rei, come on."

Rei followed. Shiro releasedthe breath she was holding and tugged gently at her skirt. She went into the back room of the parlor to make a phone call. Aisu started to wash the counter. Yusuke and Botan blinked to get over the shock.

Yusuke turned to Kuwabara. "Strange, eh?"

"Yeah." He still sounded numb.

Botan grabbed them and hauled them outside. Yusuke was able to snatch his banana split before being forced out the door. They walked down the street calmly. Botan glanced that her companions. "Well, at least we know Rei."

"And a couple of Yuumei's other friends, apparently," Yusuke replied while shoving another spoonful of ice-cream in his mouth.

Kuwabara, having already eaten his ice-cream, counted off the names on his fingers, "Yuumei, Rei, Aisu, and Shiro. I don't think we should count Annei as a friend."

Botan clapped her hands. "Don't forget Zakyou. I learned a bit about him while talking to Shiro." She paused. "Let's see; he owns that club that's going to be opened on Sunday: High Gothic. He's apparently one of Yuumei's friends. Shiro hinted that he knows Yuumei almost as long as Rei does. We might be able to get something out of him."

Yusuke groaned as he threw the empty container into the trashcan. "I'm guessing we are going clubbing on Sunday."

* * *

Hiei watched Yuumei and Fay walk to their apartment from the tree by the kitchen window. Kurama instructed him to write down the girls' routine so that they can plan the break in. Hiei took out the watch Kurama insisted he have and checked the time. He sat up and wrote on his clipboard the time along with a note that they were returning home. He glared lightly at the schedule and mumbled that he was being demoted to secretary, or maybe promoted; he couldn't tell which. He looked up in time to see Fay stop and turn to her friend.

"What's going on?" she asked with a bit more force than intended.

"Those three were the ones Koenma sent. Don't you remember them?" Yuumei answered with a raised brow.

"Now that you mention it, yeah, I remember. Not the girl, though."

"Good." Yuumei started to walk to the apartment once more. Fay stopped her.

"I'm going to go check up on Zak. I'll be back later."

"Okay." Yuumei continued home while Fay jogged in another direction. Hiei checked his watch and on the side of the paper wrote down that the girl was leaving to meet Zak. He circled the name. Yuumei opened the door and let herself in. Hiei put the clipboard on the branch he was sitting on and hid it among some leaves. He hopped down and leaned against the trunk. He thrust one hand in his pocket and felt the paper he stuffed in there. He wondered on how to bring up the touchy subject.

After a couple minutes Yuumei walked out and closed the door once more. She noticed Hiei leaning casually against the tree and sat on the steps leading up to her apartment. Sipping her home-brewed tea, she watched with lazy awe at the muscular body that Hiei's clothing hinted at. He met her eyes and walked towards her. His eyes never left her face as he marched up the steps and sat on the step right below the one Yuumei was sitting on. He leaned back against the railing and stretched out his legs. He crossed his arms in front of him and narrowed his eyes slightly. Yuumei simply watched him with that look of unabashed awe and admiration in her gray eyes. She sipped on her tea once more. Hiei unfolded his arms and reached into his pocket. He drew out the sheet of paper and unfolded it, conscious of Yuumei's gaze as she watched the paper. He cleared his throat to gain her attention. Her eyes snapped back to his face. "I have a copy of your crime record."

"Amazing," she replied simply. She scooted a bit closer to see what was written on the paper.

Hiei put his finger right below a listing of theft.

_Stole 27 assorted gems from cache at 124° 0' N 45° 10' W _

"What happened to those gems?" Hiei practically growled.

"I have them in my jewelry box." Yuumei sipped her tea.

Hiei pondered that for a moment. He spoke carefully, "What did you do to the gems?"

Yuumei shifted her gaze to her tea and answered quietly, "They're embedded in my family necklace. I just love garnets and rubies."

Hiei stared at her blankly. "You put _my_ gems into _your necklace?_"

Yuumei drank from her mug once more. "I only used about eight of the gems."

Hiei blinked and sighed.

"But I have the rest and they're loose stones still," Yuumei added helpfully.

Hiei nodded and shoved the paper in his pocket once more. He got up and walked back to the tree. Yuumei called out to him. "It's going to rain in a couple minutes."

Hiei glanced back over his shoulder. "I know," he said softly. He jumped into the tree and retrieved his clipboard. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Yuumei get up and return to the apartment as the rain started fall. He tucked the clipboard under his cloak and walked towards Kurama's house.

Yuumei sat back after washing off her mug and glanced at the boxes that were stacked against the far wall. Fay was still with Zakyou. Through the rain that splattered against the window, she saw Hiei walk away. He seemed to enjoy walking in the rain.

After watching Hiei disappear from her view, Yuumei reached for the phone and dialed the familiar number. She stared at the window as she waited. Aisu picked up on the fourth ring.

"Hello?" he asked, although he already knew who was calling.

"I need you to look into something for me."

"Ah," Aisu leaned against the wall by the phone, his gaze drifting to the window. His reflection was slightly blurred. He cradled the phone in one hand and ran the towel over his chest. "What do you need?"

There was a laugh from the other side of the line. "Get me some information on Yusuke Urameshi and Kazuma Kuwabara."

"Alright," Aisu waited until he heard Yuumei hang up, then, he placed the receiver back in place. He dried off his hair from the shower with his towel then walked barefoot into the kitchen. The stainless steel appliances reflected the interesting shadows cast by the small rivers of rain that flowed on the glass of the glass wall.

Aisu watched the window and caught a glimpse of a darker shape, moving amid the rain. He opened the fridge and looked inside. There weren't any bell peppers or carrots. He closed the door and opened a drawer. He took out the shopping list for the week and a pen. Quickly he jotted down the two ingredients and glanced at the fruit bowl. He wrote down 'apples'. He put the list and pen back into the drawer and closed it softly. He opened the cupboard on the far end of the kitchen and glared at the bag of dried plums that sat on the top shelf. With a bit of concentration the bag started to glow neon green and Aisu directed it off the shelf. The bag dropped into his hands and he grabbed a handful of the fruit before dropping the bag on the counter. Munching on his late afternoon treat, he concentrated on the bag while leaning back against the counter. The bag started to glow once more. It floated smoothly to the top shelf and the glow faded once the bag was lying safely on the top shelf. Aisu walked away, closing the cupboard with his energy. He jogged to his room and jumped on the bed.

The door that led to the aquarium that housed Kuroi, Aisu's pet black mamba, was slightly ajar. A faint glow of light left a trail on the dark cherry flooring. Aisu stood up and walked slowly into the room. The large aquarium stood in the middle of the room. A dark, granite countertop stretched across one full wall of the room. Another wall was covered by pictures of all kinds of orchids. The third wall was covered with Aisu's collection of fans. Some had an oriental dragons painted on them, others had women dancing. One had a beautiful Celtic dragon sitting on top of a tower built in the High Gothic style.

Aisu looked into the tank and admired the design. The aquarium was standing on the custom designed cupboard that was exactly the right dimensions. A similar cabinet was sitting on top of the tank and touched the ceiling. The upper cabinet had holes in the bottom to allow fresh air to circulate to the snake. The lighting that was installed in the cabinet provided the heat Kuroi needed. Aisu looked at the display and searched for his pet. Hollow logs and medium-sized rocks littered the ground. Fine red-tinted sand covered the bottom of the tank; a bowl of water stood by one of the fallen logs.

Aisu saw the coffin-shaped head as Kuroi's black eyes gazed at him. The black mambas are known to be skittish and usually hide from humans, but Kuroi was raised by Aisu's hand since he was hatched. The long, grayish body was wrapped around one of the small boulders. Aisu smiled gently at his pet and watched Kuroi place his head back on the rock. With a small chuckle, he left the snake in peace.

* * *

Fay closed her eyes and leaned back in the comfortable black leather sofa. Zakyou really outdid himself with the club, she decided. High Gothic had a very refined style to it. The dance floor was large and the surrounding walls were covered with black satin. The floor was the darkest granite Fay has seen and the ceiling was covered in a rich, smooth, crimson material. The black-framed shoji screens cut off the lounge from the rest of the club and the sleek, contemporary leather furniture was complemented by the intricate candlestick that was in the middle of the small table. The walls in the lounge were painted black with flame designs done in dark crimson. The candle stick was a beautiful piece of blown glass that was an intriguing black shade. The candles were tall, slender and crimson.

Fay relaxed deeper into the soft sofa and cradled the glass of soda in her right hand. She heard the faint rustling of cloth by the shoji screens. She closed her eyes and smiled slightly. "This is heaven."

"Glad to be of service," his voice sounded softly from the darkness. He was always quiet, a shadow almost. As far as Yuumei explained, Zakyou was always quiet, but his voice contained power. It was an arrogant voice, just like his eyes. Fay opened her eyes and glanced around the room. The shadow was standing in front of the painting on the far wall. His trench coat was the darkest black and he seemed to blend with the shadows around him. He watched the painting with a vast fascination, like he always did when around something morbid and gruesome. He explained once that blood and pain was so alluring because of the fear people usually link to them. Yuumei seemed fascinated by the explanation as well.

The object of Zakyou's interest tonight was the painting of a dark corner, the walls glistened with blood. There was a darker shape within the corner, but Fay couldn't figure out what it was. She decided to question it, "What's so _enthralling_ about this painting, Zak?"

Zakyou glared at her with his eerie silver gaze before returning to the painting. "It shows the extreme suffering of someone, however, we don't know who. It draws the eye, captures the attention. Everyone who sees it will look deeper, trying to see _who_ it is."

He explained in the soft tone he always uses. One that seems below even a whisper, like a murmur, yet people who listened to it heard every word clearly. Fay could still not understand the logic behind Zakyou's voice. She doesn't try to. Zakyou turned around and watched Fay silently as she stood up and went to the bar. Fay felt him glide after her and shivered in excitement, fear, and anticipation. This must be how a rabbit feels when he senses someone watching him. Zakyou moved like a panther, a quiet, deadly predator.

She placed the glass on the black counter and grabbed her own trench coat as she passed to the exit. Zakyou followed her to the door, but refused to leave the club. Fay glanced back to see him standing in the doorway, his eyes tracking her with a disinterested air. Fay almost laughed at the action. Zakyou was fiercely loyal to Yuumei; whatever happened to bring them together formed a tight bond. He looked after all her friends, and enemies. Fay knew that he would remember the exact hour and minute that she left his presence. He'll also know which way she went. It was enough to send shivers down her spine again.

Fay crossed the park and was relieved that the rain has stopped a couple minutes ago. The air smelled fresh and damp. The grass was glistening, the sky was clear. It was amazing. Fay waved at Shiro as she saw the waitress on the way. Shiro took off the black wig and her platinum hair cascaded down her shoulders in silky waves. She deemed it necessary to wear the wig because her boss didn't like individualism.

* * *

Yuumei was lying in her room, aware of the scribbling of pen on paper from the tree outside the kitchen. Hiei returned to watch the comings and goings of the apartment after the storm has passed. The slight tap on her window came around eleven, alerting Yuumei of the presence. She knew it was not Hiei tapping, he would rather be ignored unless he wants something. She heard the front door open and close. Fay walked past her room a minute later. The scribbling stopped.

Fukigen spoke up for the first time in days. _'The demon is showing too much interest in us, Darkened Heart.'_ Yuumei pondered that a moment before reaching for the phone a second time that day. She dialed the number of High Gothic. She heard Zakyou pick up the receiver immediately. He didn't say anything, as always waiting for Yuumei to speak first.

"I need you to keep an eye on some named Kurama."

Zakyou didn't answer, but Yuumei continued, "I have no idea where he is. I trust you can find him. Long red hair, emerald eyes."

Yuumei could've sworn she heard Zakyou blink. It was disturbing to be so quiet. He spoke softly. "Alright."

He hung up before Yuumei could reply. She didn't worry much about Hiei; it was Kurama who was a thief. _Youko Kurama, you ridiculous bastard.

* * *

_

YSendo: As far as I know, Hiei wasn't very well-known in the Makai before he stole the Shadow Sword...and, in case you noticed, I don't put in any Japanese words (other than names) because it confuses me and my computer auto-corrects it...the machine is evil, I swear.

Aisu: Review...

YSendo: Right...and I'm seriously considering the one-shots...


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho

YSendo: This is for you, bluesilver-soul...and Midnight... >.>

Shiro: Yay! I get to start!

Hiei: ...this isn't a good idea...

Chapter 5

Shiro took off the absurd wig and brushed out her hair. She felt the small gust of wind that blew through the window, but she could've sworn that the window was closed when she walked in. She dropped the wig and the brush into her large jade-green bag and glanced at the window from the corner of her eye. The window was only slightly ajar, but there was a leaf on the floor below the window. Shiro reapplied her lipstick and walked out of the bathroom. She listened closely to the sounds around her as she padded to the store. Her soft, worn sandals made little sound on the tiles.

_'Definitely someone following me,'_ she decided as an echo of footsteps sounded from behind her. She turned into the store and went immediately to the back door. The footsteps were still there, still following. Shiro turned the corner and stopped. She heard the footsteps coming and sucked in a shaky breath. She flexed her fingers and turned. She pounced.

Kurama's back slammed against the brick wall as Shiro tightened her grip on his throat. He willed his mind to calm down and grabbed her wrist. He twisted it to the left, but Shiro's foot swept out and connected fiercely with Kurama's calf. Kurama caught her ankle and was thrown off balance momentarily as she yanked her wrist back; he still held it. Shiro used the tiny opening to spin around and tug her foot forcefully from his grip. She dropped into a fighting stance and watched Kurama warily. Kurama reached out rapidly and grabbed her wrist. Shiro grabbed his wrist with her caught hand jumped over him in a swift movement. The action forced Kurama's arm to be twisted backwards in a most painful manner. He turned around and winced at the pain that shot up his arm. Shiro readied herself for another kick when a body slammed into her side, forcing them both to the ground.

Kurama reached up to massage his shoulder as he gazed carefully at the pair that was rolling over the ground, trying to overpower each other. Hiei was able to force Shiro on her back and pulled his fist back. He was flipped onto his back as Shiro used her weight to pin him down. She caught his fist and attempted to throw a blow of her own. Hiei used the slight imbalance to end up on top again. He caught hold of her forearms and stretched out on top of her to try to subdue her with his weight. He felt her teeth bite deeply into his shoulder and yanked his head back to avoid being bitten once more. Shiro struggled to get out of Hiei's grasp and failed. A thud sounded from behind them and Hiei was promptly kicked off Shiro.

A tall, quiet teen stood in the alley. Kurama lay on the ground behind him, alive but unconscious. The teen narrowed his silver eyes at Hiei and quietly drew his katana. Shiro glanced at him strangely. "I didn't know you can fight, Zak."

Zakyou glanced at Shiro before returning his gaze to the demon. "Leave."

Shiro nodded and jogged back into the store, her bag gripped tightly in her hand. Zakyou watched Hiei with patience and raised the sword to point it at Hiei. Hiei unsheathed his own blade and flicked his wrist to make the sunlight glint off the cold steel. Zak brought the blade back in front of him and, without a word, gripped the hilt with both hands. Hiei rushed forward and raised the sword.

The clang of metal on metal echoed through the alley as Zakyou and Hiei attacked each other with a feral hostility. Hiei trapped Zak's katana. He quickly released it and evaded to the left, he raised the katana once more as Zakyou fell passed him by inertia. Zakyou rolled out and Hiei's katana hit the ground where he had been a second ago. He got to his feet in the same movement. Hiei turned and blocked the attack. Zakyou turned the blade and Hiei's katana was forced upward. He twisted the blades, sending them both out of their respective wielder's hands. They clanked to the ground a little distance away. Zakyou kicked out at Hiei, aiming for his abdomen. Hiei blocked the attack with his knee and threw several punches at Zakyou. Zakyou coolly avoided the punches, but before he could counter-attack Hiei flipped back. He pushed off from the ground when his hands hit the earth and landed on his feet a little-ways away. He grabbed his katana and charged at Zakyou once more. Zakyou ducked under the blade and aimed a punch at Hiei's mid-section again. Hiei turned away, but Zakyou's fist connected with his side. The force and unexpectedness of the blow sent him back a few paces. Zakyou pounced on Hiei and sent them to the ground. Hiei rolled them until he ended up on top and tried to force the katana to Zakyou's throat. Zak caught Hiei's hands and the two struggled to control the blade. Zakyou eventually realized that he was not going to win this small test of strength and forced Hiei's hands to the side. Hiei's blade nicked Zak's shoulder, but the abrupt shift of weight threw Hiei off balance. Zakyou flipped the demon over his head and grabbed the katana. He watched as a slightly dazed Hiei got to his knees.

Hiei's vision was blurred and all he could discern what Zakyou in front of him. His vision darkened momentarily and he shook his head to clear it. He realized that Zak was not in front of him anymore. An intense pain tore through Hiei's brain a second later. His body fell forward. Zak dropped the katana and caught Hiei's shoulders as he fell, stopping him from reaching the ground. He gently swung Hiei's arm over his shoulder and dragged the body to the wall. When he straightened, Zakyou heard Yuumei and Fay come around the corner.

"Everyone okay?" Fay asked as she ran. She tripped over Kurama's body, but caught her balance and took in the scene. Zakyou picked up his katana and slipped it into the sheath at his waist. Yuumei stopped by Hiei's body and caught the katana Zakyou tossed at her. She put it in the sheath hanging from Hiei's waist. She stepped back.

"Now what?"

"We should take them out of here," Zakyou advised quietly.

"We can take them to our apartment, Mei."

"Okay, Zak, you grab Kurama. Fay and I will handle Hiei."

Zak nodded and grabbed Kurama's body. He slung it over his good shoulder and ignored the low groan of protest. He sprinted up a broken rail and disappeared in the rooftops. Yuumei summoned her wings and motioned that Fay do the same. They each grabbed one of Hiei's arms and took to the air. They arrived at the house a couple minutes later.

* * *

Zakyou was already waiting on them. The door stood open and the two girls called back their wings before entering. Yuumei took charge of Hiei and dragged his unconscious body to the second sofa. Fay went to the bathroom to get bandages. Zakyou placed Kurama on one of the sofas and shed his own coat and shirt, revealing the nick he got from the fight. He was currently washing off the dried blood and applying the ointment he found in one of the kitchen cupboards. Yuumei examined the slight swelling on the back of Hiei's skull and pressed her fingers gently against it. Hiei groaned and lightly rolled over. Yuumei went to the freezer and started to pack some ice into the zip-lock bag. 

Fay returned with the bandages and motioned for Zak to not move. While she wrapped the wound, Kurama's eyelids fluttered slightly. He was coming to. Yuumei returned with the ice pack and gently lifted Hiei's head. She placed the bag on the pillow and laid Hiei's head back down. She turned to glare at Kurama. He sat watching her with is curious green eyes. Fay yanked on the bandage and smirked lightly as Zakyou gasped. She tied it off and grabbed his coat and shirt, mumbling something about sewing.

Zakyou looked at Yuumei, his eyes closing from exhaustion. Yuumei motioned to the door to her room with a slight movement of her head and turned to Kurama. Zakyou walked slowly to her room and shut the door. Yuumei waited a couple seconds. "I'm sorry if Shiro or Zakyou caused you much trouble, but you had to be taken out of the picture, at least for a while."

"I'm grateful that I'm still alive. If he was able to do that," Kurama gestured at Hiei's limp body, "then I'm sure that he could've killed me."

"Zakyou is no murderer." Yuumei gently brushed some hairs from Hiei's eyes as he winced while trying to move his head. She touched his cheek and her hand glowed softly. Hiei seemed to sink deeper into his sleep. She turned back to Kurama. "You are free to leave. Your family must be worried."

Kurama narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "How do you know my mother is worried?"

"You're human. Most humans have family. They do not leave the household until they are done with high school in most cases."

Kurama nodded and glanced at Hiei. "Will he be alright?"

Yuumei rose from the sofa she was sitting on and moved to the kitchen. She opened a drawer and pulled out a knife. She crossed the kitchen and got a carton of eggs. "Yes, he should be fine. Once he wakes, he will be free to go."

Kurama glanced at his watch and rose to his feet. He walked to the door and left without another word. Yuumei washed a few carrots as the eggs boiled. She put together the egg salad and prepared three bowls. She knocked on Fay's door. She opened it after a minute.

Her room was dark and mostly empty; Zakyou's repaired clothing was sitting on the chair and single candle was burning in the middle of the room. Fay took the bowl and shut the door, glaring slightly at Yuumei for interrupting. Yuumei delivered the other bowl of salad to Zakyou who was meditating in front of the window. He silently accepted the bowl and began to eat as Yuumei shut the door. She ate her bowl while sitting on the couch Kurama was on previously. Hiei stirred.

His head felt like it was going to burst any second and his body felt drained. He opened his eyes and closed them as the light glared at him. It hurt just to sit up. He opened his eyes to slits and waited until they adjusted to the light. He spotted Yuumei sitting across from him; an empty bowl sat on the table between them. He opened his eyes fully and slumped back into the couch. His voice was weary when he spoke. "What happened?"

"Zakyou and you fought."

"I lost?"

Yuumei looked at him with a mixture of wonder and sympathy. "Yes."

Hiei groaned and rolled his head back. He gazed at the ceiling. He felt the sofa sink as Yuumei sat beside him. She watched his face with caution. His lips twisted into a wry smile. "Afraid?"

Yuumei shrugged and crossed her arms. "Yes. I'm simply wondering if you are going to seek a rematch."

Hiei nodded and slowly stood up from the sofa. He moved towards the door, swaying slightly with every step. Yuumei disappeared into the storage room in the hall. Exhausted, Hiei leaned back against the trunk of the tree where he made notes and slid to the ground. He was asleep in a minute. He was conscious of a soft, warm cloth being tucked in around him and snuggled closer to the warmth. Yuumei's footsteps faded as she returned to the apartment.

* * *

Koenma looked up at the eight people in front of him. Hiei was leaning against a wall and shooting glances at Yukina who was seated beside Kuwabara. Yukina and Genkai were drinking a specially blended tea and watching Koenma with resignation. Kuwabara was devouring a tuna sandwich. Botan and Yusuke stood next to Genkai. Keiko held Puu and stood close to Yusuke. Kurama stood by the door. 

Koenma cleared his throat and walked deeper into Genkai's compound. He checked to see if everyone was paying attention before starting. "Let's see what you all gathered before deciding what to do."

Botan stepped forward and eyed everyone with satisfaction. "Yuumei seems to be quite popular in the parlor. She's got quite a few friends!"

Kuwabara place his sandwich on the small plate and counted off his fingers. "Eirei, Shiro, Aisu, and Zakyou as far as I know."

Yusuke ran a hand through his hair. "Aisu can fight, but I doubt that Shiro and Zakyou would give us much trouble."

Hiei's eyes narrowed at Yusuke and Kurama chuckled lightly.

"Zakyou is a worthy opponent in battle," Hiei said calmly, leaving out the fact that he lost the fight. There was no need to give the humans a reason to tease him in front of his sister.

"Shiro can be quite aggressive." Kurama's chuckle grew into a laugh as he spoke. He glanced at Hiei with mock concern. "Did the bite hurt that much?"

Hiei looked at him and scowled, his eyes promising murder. The bite already faded and no blood was spilled, although Hiei's shoulder was still tingling distastefully. However, he wasn't going to admit that fact.

Yusuke explained the scene in the ice-cream parlor and Botan added to the story where Yusuke couldn't. Kuwabara made snide comments about nearly everything, but no one paid attention. When they were finished Yukina spoke up gently. "I think that Yuumei isn't here to be a nuisance. Maybe she's working for a noble cause."

"I agree with her for one." The voice came from a shadowed corner and all heads turned towards it. Aisu stepped forward, his gaze never straying from Yukina. He wore black jogging pants that had a couple zipped pockets on the legs and a smoky gray long-sleeved shirt that hugged his torso. He spoke to Koenma without moving his gaze. "Yuumei is continuing research that she started the first time she came to the Human World."

"You know about the Worlds?" Koenma asked suspiciously. No human was supposed to know about such details. They're supposed to be blissfully ignorant.

"I was born in the Demon World. My mother was to be a servant for Lord Raizen. She was dismissed immediately, since he doesn't feed on humans anymore." Aisu examined his fingernails, "Something about not wanting a temptation. She didn't live long alone; I was born a couple days into her exile and she died about five days later. I was raised by an acquaintance of Sigure's."

Everyone stared at him with wide eyes, except Genkai and Hiei. Hiei looked away and scoffed at the mention of the surgeon's name. Genkai sipped her tea. Yukina dropped her glass of tea. Aisu moved away to the kitchen and returned with a dry cloth. He wiped off the spilled tea by Yukina and gently picked up the broken glass. He carried it off to the kitchen. When he returned, he stood to the side and watched everyone with curiosity. Yukina snapped out of it and apologized for the glass. She stood up and left towards the garden. Aisu moved to follow, but was stopped by a glare from Hiei. He halted obediently.

Aisu knew to not bother Hiei. His research on Yusuke and Kuwabara clarified that Hiei was dangerous when he was mad. Yuumei also warned to not trigger his destructive behavior, but it had more to do with her sanity than fear for Aisu's safety.

He watched everyone around him and labeled them according to the files on Yusuke and his friend. Yukina was the one that just left; Keiko would be the one with the breathing blue doll. Genkai, Yusuke's teacher, was the one with tea. Hiei, of course, was the one in black. Koenma was the prince of Spirit World. Kurama was the one standing by the entrance. He knew the others from a couple days ago when Annei came to ask about High Gothic.

"What? How? When? Why are you here?" Kuwabara asked in confusion. Koenma and Botan looked at each other while Genkai, Keiko, Yusuke, and Kurama closed their eyes and sighed. Hiei turned his head and closed his eyes in shame.

Aisu said with a laugh, "Just to make sure that my information was correct." Kuwabara was still confused. He looked down.

"What information?"

Silence answered him. Everyone looked towards Aisu, but he wasn't there. They raced outside and saw Yukina looking towards the boulevard that stood before the compound. Aisu's scent still hung in the air. Hiei sniffed and sprinted down the avenue after it. Koenma turned back to the gang. "We're being watched."

Everyone nodded solemnly as the branches swayed slightly in the breeze. Yukina turned to Koenma. She watched him intently and pulled out a note from her kimono. She handed it to him and everyone looked over his shoulder to read, except Genkai. She was too short and not interested in the note anyway. It was simple and to the point:

_Yukina,_

_Seven o'clock. Roof of Sarayashiki Jr. High. Be there, alone._

_Aisu_

Yusuke, Keiko, and Botan looked at Yukina worriedly. Kurama and Koenma studied the note. Kuwabara started to wail like an abandoned puppy, only to be backhanded by an impatient Genkai. She rasped in an annoyed tone, "Quit that annoying blubbering, twit."

"Puu!" the small spirit beast chirped from Keiko's arms.

* * *

YSendo: Review. 

Aisu: She hates cliff-hangers. -gets punched- Okay. She _dislikes_ cliff-hangers.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.

YSendo: I bring you another chapter... You're probably screaming 'NO NOT ANOTHER'...right...?

Zakyou: ...

Shiro: Another...YEAH!

Aisu: ..umm..._sure_ Mei.

Chapter 6

Tentatively, Yukina climbed the stairs and crossed the shadow-filled hallway. The school was empty and she was surprised that it was open. She looked up and down the hall, trying to remember Keiko's directions. She turned left and climbed another flight of stairs slowly. Her footsteps echoed throughout the school.

Yukina glanced in both directions of the hall and stopped. She didn't remember the way anymore. A couple papers littered the floor and the moonlight lit the way barely. In the darkness, she could make out the outline of stairs going upwards. _'Well, the roof is at the top of the building,'_ she thought with a small shy laugh at her own folly. She walked towards the stairs and climbed them. At the top was a door. Yukina pushed it gently, but it didn't budge. For a moment, she thought it was locked; then, it opened slightly when she applied more pressure. She swung it open and peeked out. The night was cold and there seemed to be no one there. Then, she noticed the shadow on the ground.

She walked briskly towards it and stopped when she caught sight of Aisu leaning casually against the fence. His gray eyes gazed at her and he smiled slightly. Yukina smiled back and moved closer. She looked up at him. "It gets dark early this time of year."

"Yes, it does." He turned to look out over the city.

Yukina laced her hands together in front of her and looked up at the moon. "Why did you ask to meet me here?"

"I needed to talk to you about Yuumei and F-," he seemed to catch himself, "and Rei."

Yukina decided to remember the almost blunder. She asked sweetly, "Why not talk to Mr. Koenma? He's in charge of this, you know."

Aisu laughed. He reached up and let his hand rest on her shoulder. He smiled. "Lord Koenma is not the one I should talk to about this."

Yukina simply looked at him and raised a brow in question.

Aisu grinned and let his hand fall to his side. "He's trying to get rid of Rei and Mei. Well, either that or," he shrugged, "hire them to help."

Yukina turned to him. "Why would you know what Mr. Koenma wants?"

"It's oblivious. He never paid attention to Yuumei before. He's looking for someone, and Yuumei just happens to be around. 'Guilty by association', so to speak."

Yukina laughed, "Not exactly 'guilty'."

"No, you're right."

The pair stood and watched the stars twinkle for a couple minutes before Aisu spoke up. "Yuumei is fused with a dragon."

"Why is that important, Mr. Aisu?" Yukina asked, truly puzzled.

"Just Aisu, please. It's important because your presence might trigger something."

"Huh?" Yukina blushed in embarrassment and laughed. "Sorry, what do you mean?"

"The dragon used to reside around the area of the Glacial Village, your birthplace. Yuumei gets flashbacks when something, or someone, resembling an object in the dragon's past appears."

"Oh," Yukina sighed. She brushed off some dust from her obi and looked back at Aisu. "Am I to avoid her, Mr. - sorry, Aisu?"

Aisu quickly brought his hands up and waved them in a 'no need' gesture. "No, no. I'm just warning you in case she suddenly acts strange. She can tune out the memories mostly. If you do trigger something, she'll just blank out for a moment." Yukina opened her mouth to say something, but Aisu hushed her with his hand. "Just don't worry if she does something weird. Now, I have to tell you about Rei."

"Yes?"

"She's a bit on the rude side and has got a short temper, but it's normal. I don't want you to feel offended if she does or says something. Okay?"

"Alright, Aisu." She smiled suddenly. "Maybe you met my brother, since you were in the Demon World?"

Aisu blinked and tapped one graceful finger against his chin. "Hmm, I don't know. It's been a while." He dropped his hand and grabbed Yukina's shoulders. He lifted her barely off the ground and, laughing, swung her around in joy. "Don't worry! I'm sure he's looking after you!"

The two laughed as they went back to the stairs. Aisu thrust his hands in the pockets of his jogging pants and started to whistle an old lullaby that he learned in his youth. Yukina joined in and soon the two were singing the words, and making up their own. Yukina sometimes hummed the tune and danced to it, forcing Aisu to jog after her. The two arrived at Genkai's compound and Aisu hugged her lightly by the entrance. Yukina smiled at him and laughed silently as he hushed her in.

When she was gone, Aisu turned and ran back to his house to rest and call Yuumei. He had all the information she needed and a bit more. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at the small, teal-haired maiden standing by the window. She waved energetically at him. He waved back and started to run faster.

* * *

Yuumei sipped her tea and glanced back and forth between Hiei and Fay, then back to Hiei; then to Fay. The two were in the middle of a glaring contest. She wasn't exactly sure how it happened. It just did. Hiei said something, Fay replied, and before you know it, they're yelling their heads off! Thank the gods that they ran out of breath, or Yuumei might have gone deaf. She looked at the board sitting between the two riled demons. In two moves Hiei would've won the round. Who knew the 'shrimp' was really good at checkers? He won five games against Yuumei and one game against Fay. During the second game, the fight broke out. 

The silence was slightly unnerving. Yuumei was afraid that everyone heard her heartbeat. Her very breath was loud in her ears. She fidgeted in her seat on the sofa and shot glances around her. She stood up and put her cup down on the table. The clank of ceramic against glass was quite deafening. She put a hand on the glaring pair's shoulders and said cheerfully, "I see you're getting along just fine! I'm proud of you both."

Hiei didn't blink. He didn't want to lose. Instead he growled out, "Getting along fine?"

Fay raised a brow without moving her gaze from Hiei's.

Taking advantage of the moment, Yuumei gave them both a quick hug and replied, "Yes, you've been in each other's company for a bit over half-an-hour and you're both still alive!"

Yuumei almost jumped as Fukigen's voice rumbled through her mind. _'Darkened Heart, you're talking strange.'­­_

"_Fukigen! I'm so happy to hear from you!"_

Fukigen simply sighed._ 'You see?'_

"_Sorry, the tension's getting to me," _Yuumei scratched the back of her head with a small humiliated laugh.

Hiei and Fay dropped their starring contest by the time Yuumei focused on the real world. She sighed. She didn't get to see who lost! Calming down, she grabbed her cup of tea and went to the kitchen. Fay and Hiei were concentrating on their game again.

Opening the freezer she took out the ice-cream she oh-so-skillfully hid from everyone in the empty package of frozen blueberries. She deposited the dessert into three bowls and stopped to listen.

"You cheated!" Fay accused.

"No, I didn't! I'm just better than you!"

"LIAR!"

"HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF BEING DISHONORABLE!"

"JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE HONORABLE DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU DIDN'T CHEAT!" Fay raged. Hiei's reply was louder than Fay's, but Yuumei didn't bother listening. She grabbed the ice-cream and forced it back into the empty bag. She took the bowls and ate her fill of the vanilla treat after setting the other two on the table. The ice-cream was half melted before the fighting cocks realized it was there. They both snatched their bowl and it was suddenly quiet. Well, except for the growls if one caught the other staring wistfully at _their_ bowl. Yuumei sighed and heard the phone. She excused herself and nearly ran to the machine. She grabbed the receiver and sang 'hallelujah' in her mind. Fukigen hummed along.

"Hello?"

Aisu's voice was suddenly filled with concern. "Did you eat? I can hear your stomach growling from here!"

Yuumei glared at the phone before putting it back to her ear. "No, that's just Hiei and Fay."

"Ah."

"You got what I need?"

"Yeah, I do." Aisu started to recite everything he gathered as if he memorized it and Yuumei simply nodded along even though he couldn't see it. After five minutes, he paused for a breath before continuing. Yuumei listened carefully as he recounted how Yusuke died, his rebirth, how he met everybody, the Dark Tournament, and a bit of background information.

When he was done, Yuumei hung up with a small "good-bye." She walked back into the room where Hiei and Fay were. Fay seemingly left to go to bed and Hiei sat back in his chair and nimbly toyed with some of the checker pieces. He threw them up, caught them, turned them around, made them spin, and other activities. He looked up at Yuumei as she sat back down. Earlier, he had followed Aisu here, but when he wanted to go after Aisu later, Yuumei caught him with an invitation to play checkers. She explained the rules, they played a game, and he was hooked. When Fay arrived from torturing some of the neighborhood kids, Yuumei drafted her into the game and left saying something about getting tired of boosting Hiei's ego. Hiei's eyes narrowed at the thought. He didn't have too big an ego. He was simply unbeatable in the field of checkers.

Yuumei smiled and cleaned up the bowls while Hiei put away the game board and pieces. When she returned to the room, Hiei watched her with an evil look in his eye. "Why did Aisu meet with Yukina?"

Yuumei blinked. "He met with Yukina?"

"You don't know?" Hiei asked as he tilted his head to the side in utter confusion.

"He must've done it himself. I didn't know that the two met."

"Hn," Hiei scoffed in disgust. Was she lying? He looked at her carefully. She looked at him with curiosity and that annoyingly charming mix of awe and affection. There was no fear of being discovered. In fact, she seemed to want to know just as much as he what was going on. No, she wasn't lying. "Forget it."

She nodded, but he knew very well that she wouldn't forget it. She'll probably ask her friend about it.

Hiei turned to the door and left quickly, before Yuumei can find another reason for him to stay. While walking to Kurama's house, he passed Zakyou, who was heading towards the cemetery to do God-knows-what. The two glared and growled at each other like feral beasts fighting over a woman. So primitive, yet so effective. After a couple minutes, Hiei raised his chin and proudly started to walk towards Kurama's. Zakyou raised an elegant brow and shrugged before moving on.

* * *

Kurama's window was open as usual and the demon hopped on and slid to the floor. He grabbed the window and shut it fiercely. Kurama turned in his chair and chuckled lightly at Hiei's sudden appearance. Hiei glared at him before jumping onto the bed. He bounced once and fell forward onto his chin. He buried his head in the comforter. Kurama laughed and joked, "Where were you this entire day, hmm?" 

"_Kurama_," was Hiei's muffled growl.

"I wonder," Kurama continued, ignoring the warning, "did you maybe listen in on Yukina and Aisu?"

Hiei raised his head for a moment to glare at the fox before dropping it back into the soft bedding. He wrapped his arms around his head and curled into a small black ball. "No."

Kurama looked up surprised. "You didn't?"

"No."

"Then, where were you?"

He heard no response from Hiei. He glanced over his shoulder at the bed. "Where were you? Hiei?"

He stood up and went to the bed. "Uh, Hiei?"

Hiei snored softly and unconsciously rolled over, covering himself completely with the quilt. Only his nose was visible. Kurama sighed and returned to analyze the papers on Zakyou and Aisu that Koenma sent over earlier.

* * *

_The waters moved with the current, churning and twisting. Fay tried to swim out of the sea of blood, but the pull was too strong. She watched the seafloor beneath her as she flowed uselessly with the water, but the blood stung her eyes. "Fay!" she heard from the depths to her left. She closed her eyes and willed the boy to understand. 'I cannot leave the current.' The shifting of the waters stopped suddenly and another cry was heard. Fay stopped, not understanding. The boy called again, and Fay felt her mind rush to save him. She swam down. Lower and lower. She had to save him. He needed her help. _

_Suddenly, she stopped. Floating in the blood, she ignored the calls of the tortured soul and concentrated on the scene. The blood thinned out and the cry of her name faded into nothingness. Fay opened her eyes. She stood in a black space with no walls, no ceiling. Only a floor. A powerful, sea-green glow was in front of her. Seisui's features sharpened as the glow diminished. _

"_What is this!" Fay raged, referring to the blood lake._

_Seisui looked upon her tyro and stared with pity. 'We are in grave danger if this is what I believe it is.'_

_Fay clenched her fist. "What do you believe this is?"_

'_I cannot explain. It is not for you to know.'_

"_I deserve to know what's going on you lizard!"_

'_I can only thank my superiors that I found you.'_

"_Huh?" Fay asked in confusion. Seisui seemed out of it. She never spoke in riddles before._

'_I must leave.'_

"_NO! Tell me what's wrong!"_

_Seisui suddenly wailed and Fay clutched her eyes in a vain attempt to block out the deafening sound. The dragon's body twisted and some scales shed off her magnificent serpent-like body. Fay saw the tears and felt torn between the urge to flee and the need to help. "What's happening!"_

_For a moment she thought the dragon didn't hear her. Then, she heard the faint reply. 'My scales burn me. Something horrible is trying to control me. Leave!'_

Fay shot up in her bed and ran her hand over her forehead. She glared slightly at the sweat that now covered her body.

* * *

YSendo: ...cliff-hanger...-mumbles nonsense- 

Aisu: Review.

Zakyou: Mei is mad.

Aisu: You think?

Shiro: Tyro is simply another way of saying student.

Fay: ... ...When did she get smart?


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.

YSendo: Thank you reviewers.

Zakyou: Thanks to **gothic-ember**, **DragonsKitsune**, and **animegirl2961**

Aisu: Thanks to **AnonymousHieiFan101**, as well.

Shiro: -gives out chocolates-

Chapter 7

_Something was wrong_, Fay decided as she sat by the open window and pulled her blanket more tightly around her frame. Her silver eyes looked over the city and she closed them. She opened them once more as the image of Seisui is such pain popped up in her mind.

With a snort of disgust at herself, Fay crossed her room to the dresser and pulled out a simple black shirt and her black training pants. She tugged on her gloves and grabbed the staff that lay in the corner. She paused and, after a moment, grabbed her crystal sword and strapped the sheath to the inside of her pants, out of sight. She strapped on her dark blue boots by the front door. Quietly, as to not wake Yuumei, she slipped outside.

The slight breeze came as a relief to the girl as she crossed the park to the abandoned warehouse by the cemetery. Gripping her staff tighter, Fay hopped into the canopy of the park trees and honed her balance. She skipped lightly from one branch to the next, reveling in the cold, night air as it dried off her sweated body. At the end of the park, she landed on the ground and nodded to the air, satisfied with her skill. She started towards the warehouse, but stopped when passing the graveyard. She recognized the lone figure that sat upon the tallest stone. Zakyou.

"What's he doing out here?" she muttered under her breath as she watched him lean back and stretch out on the stone. He looked so _right_ in such a place, surrounded by the dead and decaying bodies buried in the ground. The folds of his trench coat fluttered around him, his hair was wind-blown, and his posture was uniquely relaxed. Fay shook her head and let herself into the empty building.

Her footsteps echoed softly in the barren room, but the small noises didn't bother Fay. She needed to clear her head. She needed to fight off the frustration of not understanding what is going on in her very mind. She needed violence.

Fay started to warm-up with her staff, twirling it, catching it, switching grips, when she heard the footsteps behind her. She swung around and brought the staff in front of her defensively. Kurama stopped a few feet away. He raised his hands and gestured that she needn't worry about him. "I want to talk."

Fay narrowed her eyes. "Leave."

"Please, all I need to know is what _you_ are doing here."

"Get out, now." Fay moved slightly, turning to offense.

Kurama stood his ground, ignoring his mind's call to leave. "Just answer."

Fay had enough. She charged at him and held the staff horizontally in front of her. Kurama grabbed onto the staff to stop its attack. Fay flipped over him and forced his arms back. He quickly let go of the staff and turned, rolling his shoulders to ease the pain. _'I'm not sure I can take much more of this,'_ he decided. Fay brought the staff to her side and launched herself at him once more. Kurama ducked as she swung to weapon at his midsection. Fay followed the path of her staff and kicked out at Kurama, who caught her foot. Fay threw up the staff as she fell to the ground. She rolled towards Kurama, breaking his grip. She got to her feet and started to throw punches at him. He blocked or dodged all of them. Fay tried kicking him, but he blocked those as well. Kurama kicked out at her and Fay crouched down to avoid the blow directed at her chest. She pushed off and jumped. She grabbed the staff that was falling slowly and pulled it in front of her. Kurama looked up and jumped away in time to evade the pole. Fay threw the staff to her side and attacked Kurama again. Kurama went on offense as well.

They each got a couple punches in, but most didn't reach their target. Fay and Kurama were breathing heavily and sweat trickled down their brows. Fay charged again. _'She's like Hiei; she just doesn't quit.'_ Kurama blocked a few of the punches, but he was tired. His foot connected with her stomach and sent her flying back. She got back to her feet, swaying unsteadily. Kurama almost collapsed forward, but caught himself. An arrogant voice sounded from the entrance. "Hey, Kurama, stop hogging all the fun!"

Fay and Kurama turned their heads to see Yusuke leaning against the warehouse door. He laughed. "I need a bit of entertainment too, you know," he said calmly, his eyes were trained on Fay.

He stepped forward and Fay gathered the energy stay on her feet. Yusuke raised his hand and pointed his finger at her like a gun. "Yeah, that's right. I'm here now. So what do you say? Let's get to the fun part."

Fay lunged at him and he dove to the side, barely avoiding the blade that sliced the air where he was just standing. Kurama dragged himself over to the wall and leaned heavily against it. _'She's working herself to exhaustion. Why?'_ he wondered. Yusuke, meanwhile, was dodging the blue-tinted blade with an awkward grace. Fay stopped. Her breathing was labored and her whole body shook as she fought to stay upright. Yusuke raised his hand again. "Let's end this. SPIRIT GUN!"

Fay launched herself forward; she held her sword close by her side with both hands. The large ray of electrifyingly blue energy missed her by a hair. Yusuke threw himself to the side to not get carved in two by the odd sword. Fay slid across the floor, unable to fight against inertia. She propped her foot on the wall and pushed off, flying towards her opponent once more. Getting to his feet, Yusuke aimed his finger carefully. "SPIRIT GUN!"

His attack hit the girl right on, sending her back into the wall. She gasped as the pain shot threw her body. She slid down the wall and collapsed on the ground. Yusuke lowered his hand and started towards her. Kurama moved closer to the door, using the wall to steady himself. "No, Yusuke, watch out."

Yusuke turned to his friend without changing direction. "She's beat. There's no way that she could have any energy left."

He turned back to look at Fay. His eyes widened as he saw her on her arms and knees, gingerly getting to her feet. She held the sword and stepped forward, bringing it up to attack. Yusuke jumped back. _'What the hell? How much strength does she have!'_ he thought as she moved to attack again. Before Fay could start a third swing, her knees buckled and she fell to the ground. The sword clattered as she dropped it to get back up. On her feet once more, she reached down to grab the blade. She had to hold it with both hands. Her lungs were burning, her heart was pounding, and her head was throbbing with protest as she attacked Yusuke once more. Yusuke hopped back an inch to dodge the blade and watched Fay cautiously. A shudder racked through the blade and Fay's arms from the force of the blow. Fay dropped the sword once more. Yusuke send a punch flying at her head. She blocked. Then, with a shudder of disgust and dismay, she fell forward into his arms, defeated.

Once Kurama had the energy, he moved away from the wall and walked up to Yusuke. Yusuke looked up and lifted Fay's body over his shoulder. "Maybe we can get some answers later," he explained.

Kurama nodded and looked at the limp form that caused them so much trouble. "She seems quite hostile."

"You think?" Yusuke asked sarcastically. Kurama picked up the fallen weapons and followed Yusuke outside. Yusuke turned right and said, "Kuwabara's place."

Kurama nodded. "Who's there?"

"Koenma, Botan, Keiko, in other words, everyone."

"How did you find me?"

"Botan tracked you."

Kurama and Yusuke walked down the street with Fay's unconscious body, unaware of the unnatural silver eyes trailing after them.

* * *

Zakyou closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the cold stone. The transparent boy beside him floated into the air. _"I shall watch them for you."_

"I'll go and alert everyone, then." Zakyou stood up and left towards the closed ice-cream parlor.

* * *

Koenma paced in front of the couch on which Rei was resting. Hiei stifled a small yawn and leaned against the wall with his eyes closed. Botan stood staring at Fay from behind the sofa. Kuwabara, Shizuru, and Yukina sat around the room. Keiko, holding Puu, was looking out the window. Yusuke and Kurama watched Koenma. Koenma stopped and turned to Yusuke. "Eirei, you say?"

"Yeah," Yusuke said as he leaned his shoulder against a wall. Everyone looked at Fay as she groaned. She sat up slowly, wincing. She shook her head. "Stupid."

Botan jumped over the back of the couch and landed beside the demon. Fay's body bounced a few times. Botan smiled and said, "Hello, Rei!"

Fay stared at the blue-haired girl and shook her head again. She glanced at everyone in the room. Her eyes stopped on Hiei. She pointed at him. "You. You little cheating bastard!"

Koenma looked at Hiei then back at Fay. He pointed at one, then the other. "You two know each other?"

Fay growled and crossed her arms in front of her. She snorted and raised her chin in defiance. Hiei stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked away from the Ruler of Spirit World and the accusing demon female. Kurama stepped forward. "It's possible. Now, Rei, we need to know why you're in the Human World."

Fay looked at him. "It's none of your business why I'm here."

"Please Rei. Tell us," Yukina pleaded.

"Shut your trap, cold-blooded girl," Fay replied icily.

Kuwabara rushed to her defense. "My Yukina isn't cold-blooded!"

"Fool, 'your' Yukina? You have no more _claim_ to her than any other pathetic human," Fay retorted.

"Listen here, Eirei, and listen well! Yukina is my love and I won't let any simple-minded demon insult her." Kuwabara was now on his feet and seething. "Oh, no offense, Shrimp," he added as an afterthought.

Hiei stopped glaring at the back of Kuwabara's skull. "You learn quickly for such a thick-skulled human."

"Hey, take that back, Hiei!"

Hiei snorted. "No."

Koenma cleared his throat. "Rei, you have to tell us, or I'll have a cell readied for you in Spirit Jail."

Fay laughed. "Spirit Jail? Oh, please. You have nothing on me, _Lord_ Koenma!"

Koenma reddened and said, "I have something. Eirei is not your real name!"

Everyone stared at Koenma. Hiei asked, "Then what is her real name?"

Fay smirked smugly. "Oh, yes, _Lord_, what is my real name?"

Koenma felt the heat on his cheeks again. She called his bluff.

* * *

Moses watched from the empty corner. He glided weightlessly towards the ceiling. Whatever was going to happen, Fay wouldn't say a word. He flew through the wall and shivered. The feeling was strange still; after decades of floating through solid objects, he wasn't used to the sensation. He drifted to the building where he felt the familiar pull of Zakyou's supernatural energy. He sat in the booth across from his friend. _"The secret is safe with the dragon maiden."_

Zakyou nodded and propped his crossed arms on the table. He nestled his head on them and slept within minutes. Moses dissolved into the air and hung like fog around Zakyou's shoulders. He settled on his companion like a cloud, offering the chill of death that Zakyou enjoyed so fully.

Fay hugged her legs to her chest and set her chin on her knees. She gazed out the window at the stars. Hiei was napping contently on the windowsill by the twin-sized bed Fay was on. _"Seisui, what happened?"_ she wondered. There was no answer from the water dragon. Fay got to her feet and started towards the door.

"What are you doing?" the familiar deep voice growled lazily from the window.

"Leaving. You're going to stop me?" she responded with obvious amusement.

"No." Hiei opened his eyes and glanced at her. "Should I?"

Fay laughed cruelly. "Not unless you want to be in excruciating pain."

"As if _you_ can hurt me!" Hiei retorted.

Fay opened the door and snuck out of Kuwabara's house, wondering at Koenma's stupidity. Hiei is not the most devoted jailer. She stopped at the park. _'Yuumei's is the first place they'd look for me,'_ she thought. _'High Gothic's closed. Where to hide then?' _

She started towards the bus stop. She gripped her staff tightly. She was lucky to find her weapons on the way out, or else she would be in trouble. Her small hideaway wasn't the safest place on earth, but it was well-hidden. She sat in the rear of the bus and crossed her legs and arms. She watched the homes and shops flash by the bus. Then, as the bus turned onto the small forest, she watched the trees hit against the windows. She closed her eyes, deciding to take a small nap during the four-hour drive.

* * *

At noon, the ice-cream parlor was filled with tourists, Aisu's worst nightmare. Shiro weaved in and out of the dozens of customers, a smile glued onto her face. Zakyou and Yuumei sat in a booth in the corner, waiting for the human traffic to pass. Yuumei ate her ice-cream slowly, her eyes watching the street filled with shoppers outside the window. Zakyou sat across from her, one black, polished boot propped on the edge of the table. His arms were crossed and his eyes closed. "Hello again, Aisu!" a perky voice said from his left. He turned to see Botan followed by Hiei, Yukina, and a tall woman with long brown hair.

"Hello Botan," he replied cheerfully, though with less enthusiasm. He smiled at the group of four and gestured at the almost empty booth in the corner. "You guys can sit there if you want."

Hiei and Yukina led the way to the booth. Yuumei scooted over and Zakyou glared lazily at Hiei. The booth could easily seat ten. Shiro came by a few minutes later, her black hair bobbing lightly at her shoulders. "Botan, good to see you. What does everyone want?"

The brown-haired woman looked up. "I'll have strawberry. One scoop."

Botan glanced at the demons at the table. Seeing as Yuumei already had a cone and Yukina and Hiei looked puzzled, she said, "Three banana splits."

Shiro jotted down some symbols on her small notepad and disappeared into the crowd. Yukina looked around warily. "It's crowded."

"Usually is at this time of the day," Zakyou said softly. He dropped his foot to the ground and leaned forward towards Yuumei. He laced his fingers together and propped his elbows on the table. His eyes scanned the parlor. "It will be over soon, however."

Shiro returned with the dessert and left again. About half-an-hour later, the crowd started to thin rapidly. They were alone a couple minutes later. Aisu and Shiro sat down at the table and looked over all the faces. Aisu drank the coffee tipped with whipped cream and Shiro had a can of soda. Zakyou spoke. "I can guess what Aisu and Shiro are here for, even Yuumei, but you four…" he trailed off.

"I don't believe we've met. I'm Shizuru," the brunette said.

Aisu nodded and said, "Hi." He sipped his coffee and licked his upper lip to clean off the whipped cream. Yukina laughed. He smiled and continued. "Zakyou's right. Why are you here?"

Hiei didn't raise his gaze from his banana split. He poked one of the three, flavored scoops of ice-cream and bit his lip. Yukina ate more of her own frozen treat. Botan fidgeted nervously. Shizuru just stared out the window. Yuumei glanced at Hiei and sighed at his caution. She grabbed the plastic spoon from him and got some vanilla on it. Hiei clenched his teeth in anger. Botan kicked him under the table and willed him to remember their deal. _'Act normal; don't look like you don't trust them, Hiei.'_

Hiei opened his mouth to warn Botan against more violence, but he snapped his jaw at Yuumei, who made a grab for his dessert. Yuumei dropped the spoon onto his plate and raised her hands in defeat. She glared at him.

* * *

YSendo: Review.

Fay: Just to clear up: Shiro's original hair color _is _platimun (silver), but she wears a wig. Since the gang doesn't know this, other than Kurama, it's reffered to as normal.

Aisu: Eirei and Fay are the same person.


	8. Chapter 8

** Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.

YSendo: ...yo...

Chapter 8

Aisu and Shiro kept the conversation going while Botan secretly watched them. They didn't seem concerned that Rei was gone, although Zakyou and Yuumei seemed subdued. She shared a look with Shizuru and stood up. Shizuru and Hiei followed her example. Yukina looked up from the conversation and frowned slightly. Botan said cheerfully, "Well, we'd better get going!"

Yukina sighed and stood up. Aisu glanced over at Botan and thoughtfully sipped his refilled cup of coffee. He looked at Yukina and smiled adorably, "Why don't you stay, Yukina? You could have another split."

Yukina laughed and covered her mouth. "I've already had enough sweets for today." She dropped her hand and looked solemnly past Aisu's shoulder. "And Botan's right," she added with a forced smile, "we should leave."

Aisu nodded and turned back to the other occupants of the table when the bell above the parlor door ringed as Botan and her companions left, only to find everyone staring at him. Zakyou raised a brow suggestively. Yuumei was watching from the corner of her eye. Shiro grinned like a maniac who was about to blow up an entire city. Aisu glared at them in turn. "What!"

"Nothing," the trio muttered as they immediately turned to look elsewhere. Aisu sighed and changed the topic. "So, where is she?"

"Not here," Shiro snapped. Yuumei silenced her with a look.

"Moses claims that she's not at Kuwabara's," Zakyou said helpfully.

Yuumei turned to stare at him, "Why would she be there?"

He shrugged. "She was in a fight. They took her to Kuwabara's."

"Where is she if not there then?" Aisu asked.

"Could they have moved her?" Shiro asked worriedly.

"If they tried, she would probably escape," Yuumei said honestly.

"True," Aisu agreed with a nod, "if she escaped, it would explain why Botan was here."

Shiro looked confused. "Why would she come here if Fay was gone?"

"To see if we heard from her," Zakyou said quietly.

"I doubt we would've said that she was kidnapped," Yuumei replied, folding her arms on the table.

"We would've been suspicious of them if we had known," Shiro concluded. "They could tell that we didn't blame them, however."

Aisu twirled his mug on the table, his head resting in his hand, elbow propped up on the table. "So," he said softly, looking at his friends, "where is she now?"

Yuumei looked at Shiro, who looked at Zak. Zakyou shrugged. "Moses can't find her without any knowledge of where she could be."

"Don't have him look," Yuumei mumbled as she looked out the window. "Fay can take care of herself."

Shiro sighed and yanked her wig off. "At least she isn't with the detectives."

"We'll worry about her if she doesn't send any word by the end of the week," Zakyou said as he got to his feet. "I've got to get High Gothic open."

Yuumei stood up as well. "I'll help you."

Aisu and Shiro followed the pair out the door. "We'll see the detectives," Shiro said wearily. She and Aisu turned towards Sarayashiki Jr. High.

* * *

Yuumei and Zak walked side by side towards the club when a shadow moved beside them. Zakyou stopped immediately while Yuumei kept walking. A few feet away she stopped. She turned back to see the hooded figure stand behind her friend. She ignored it. "Zak! We're going to be late if we don't hurry."

Zakyou glanced at her and nodded. He went to walk beside her again. Their shadows were gliding along the ground in front of them. A few seconds later, another large, shapeless shadow joined theirs. They arrived at the club an hour later. Zakyou unlocked the door and threw his coat onto the nearby barstool. Yuumei, who left her coat at home, dusted off her black pants and jogged over to the door marked "employees only." Soon, the lights flickered on and dimmed. The silence was broken by the steady beat of drums and bass. The words to the song were indistinguishable.

The man slid off his hood and clasped his hands behind his back. He walked slowly to the center of the room and examined the interior. He turned to Yuumei as she crossed the dance floor.

Yuumei watched her father carefully, silently wondering at the reason for his sudden appearance. The Rogue, as most call him, usually stayed out of sight in both the Human and Demon World. He was able to hide for as much as two years at a time. His dark, almost black, burgundy hair was shoulder-length and tied into a small ponytail using black ribbon. His steel-gray eyes glided over every detail in the room. Yuumei leaned back against one of the silk-covered walls and waited for her father to say something. She didn't have to wait long. Rogue walked towards her purposefully and stopped directly in front of her. He reached up to toy with one of the crystal hair beads. "You're looking as beautiful as always."

Yuumei smiled ruefully as Rogue playfully tugged on the small ornament. "And you're looking as wicked as always."

It was true. Rogue was lean and graceful, able to seduce any woman he could want. Of course, he only needed to get Lady Riku, daughter of Minor Lord Keishi, to ensure an adequate heir for his power. Takai was Lady Riku's first-born. However, Yuumei's older brother was accepted by Keishi as an heir to his throne, for he, himself, had no sons. Lord Keishi oversaw to the education and training of Master Takai, much to Rogue's distaste. At the age of five, Takai was showing signs of rebellion against his grandfather after Keishi decided to throw out his newborn granddaughter, Yuumei, as soon as she had basic knowledge of survival. At two, Yuumei was forced to survive on her own, but Rogue took her under his wing and trained his daughter to be a worthy adversary. Takai now ruled over his mother's land in Northern Demon World.

Yuumei swatted her father's hand away and walked past him to the lounge. He followed. Zakyou was sitting on the sofa and looking at the painting of the 'corner'. Rogue stretched out in the black leather chair and folded his hands behind his head. He swung his foot back and forth. "It appears that Kai is of age to be mated."

Yuumei doubled over in laughter. Zakyou suppressed a grin. Takai's worst nightmare was being chased by tons of females wanting to be Countess Sendo. Yuumei's laughter faded as she looked over how much she knew about her dear brother, yet he saw her only once. Takai never met his father, either. Yuumei looked over at Rogue and saw his eyes glazed over. He knew. He knew he never attempted to reach his son. He knew how much it hurt Takai to be hated for something he had no control over. Yuumei sighed as closed her eyes. He knew!

* * *

Aisu leaned against the tree as Shiro ran to find Yusuke and Kuwabara. He jumped suddenly. Looking around, only to find nothing wrong, Aisu rubbed the back of his neck. The chill didn't lift, however. It got worse. His blood felt cold and thick. He closed his eyes to shut out the cold. His body started to tremble. He ran towards safety. He ran down the street and leaned against the wall. He felt sweat on his forehead. _'Sweat? But I'm so cold,'_ he realized. He turned the door knob and stepped into the empty apartment. He collapsed to the ground and brought his legs up to his chest. He hugged them fiercely to fight off the cold. He closed his eyes and fell unconscious as his heart slowed.

* * *

_Aisu looked around the ice-covered room. He reached out to touch it and pulled his hand back at the pain that shot through his arm. He was panting as he looked at his hand. It was burned. "It's impossible," he muttered._

"_Nothing is impossible, my dear." Aisu turned to see a tall, graceful woman step down the stairs of ice. Her hair was a silvery-blue. Her eyes were a vivid shade of purple. She wore a weightless gown that fluttered around her torso. It had no sleeves and it ended half-way down her thighs. "Dear Aisu," she said in her soft, bitter voice, "I have missed you so much, my love."_

_She reached out to touch his cheek, but hesitated briefly. "My love. My Aisu." Her hand was smooth and gentle on his skin. Her eyes were mesmerizing. Her body, tempting. Aisu moved back and shook his head to clear it. The woman dropped her hand and smiled at him. "Do you not find me," she opened her arms wide and twirled in a circle, "alluring?"_

_Aisu watched, trapped, as her gown momentarily shaped to her legs before settling once more. He backed up again as she stepped nearer. He hissed when the wall burned his back. She stepped even closer and rested her hands on his shoulders. She squeezed lightly. With a low, husky growl, she pushed Aisu back against the wall and pressed her lips fiercely to his. His scream of pain was lost in the equally heated kiss. His vision turned white-hot at the mix of pain and pleasure. His hands gripped her waist. She pressed closer. Aisu's grip tightened and she gasped in pain. He quickly forced her off her feet and moved away from the wall. He shook his head to control the instinctual need to make her his. She gripped his knee and pulled on him, urging him down. Aisu moved back, out of her reach. Her eyes started to glow and she leaned back on the floor. She laughed._

_The walls started to thicken. The room grew smaller. Aisu looked for a way out. The woman's voice echoed off the nearing walls. "You will learn, my sweet Aisu. You will learn to give in to your lust. You will learn to not reject my desire. My Aisu, my gentle lover, you will learn!"

* * *

_

Aisu sat up so fast that his head hit Hiei's who was leaning over him for some unfathomable reason. Hiei was thankful that he was hit in the temple, not the Jagan eye. They massaged their heads and Aisu smiled in apology. Yukina giggled from behind the pair. "That was amusing and one-of-a-kind!"

Hiei growled lightly and moved to leave. Yukina stopped him by shoving a bowl of cookie dough into his arms. "You finish them. The recipe is in the book. Ask Kurama if you need help."

He left mumbling something to himself. Yukina rushed to the doorway and yelled after him, "Oh, and get Genkai in here!"

"No, need to shout, girl! I'm right here." Genkai looked at Aisu. "I hope you're well enough to leave," she rasped.

"Give me a minute."

Yukina laughed and slid out the door, towards the kitchen. "I'll make sure Hiei doesn't burn anything!"

Kuwabara and Yusuke entered the room, followed by a very distressed Shiro. There was a growling suddenly. Kuwabara touched his belly, "Not me."

While Kuwabara fussed over his stomach, Yusuke laughed. "It's probably Hiei growling! Yukina sent him to work in the kitchen."

The growling came again and Aisu blushed faintly. "Actually, that's my stomach. I'm starving."

Shiro pushed Yusuke and Kuwabara aside and grabbed Aisu's shoulders. She shook him fiercely. "DON'T YOU DARE SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN! WERE YOU HURT!

Aisu grabbed her wrists and said seriously, "No, but if you keep doing that, I might be missing a head."

Shiro pounded her fists uselessly against his shoulders. "Don't joke with me now! Do you have any idea of how horrible it was to find you suddenly missing? Yuumei would've had me skinned!"

"Glad to know I'm loved," Aisu muttered sarcastically.

Yusuke laughed and said, "Come on, let's get some of Yukina's cookies!"

Kuwabara hesitated. "Urameshi, I don't think they're edible."

"Huh?"

"I mean, I saw Hiei reading the cook book when I was looking for Yukina."

Yusuke grabbed his friend's shirt and dragged him out the door. "Don't be a coward. You're not afraid of Three-Eyes, are you?"

"Of course not!" Kuwabara replied with pride and dignity. Under his breath, he muttered, "It's his cooking I'm afraid of."

"You know, as well as I do, that Yukina would not let Hiei cook. I'm not sure why though," he said, scratching his chin.

"Hiei's temperament," Kurama, who was just walking down the hall, said simply.

"Oh," Yusuke and Kuwabara breathed. Kurama raised a brow at Aisu, who pinned the frantic Shiro down and was trying to calm her. The action only enraged her further. "Think of Yuumei, girl! What would she do if I told her you were trying to rip my head off!" he yelled.

"You wouldn't _dare_ tell her that!" she screamed back.

"You bet?" he answered.

"Yeah, I do!" she replied. Aisu got off her and bolted to the kitchen. Shiro got to her feet and dusted off her bottom before charging after him. Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama looked at each other. Then, they ran to the kitchen. Genkai sighed and mumbled something about peace and quiet, but no one listened. She left towards the meditation room.

* * *

Rogue paced back and forth in front of the bedroom door. Zakyou watched him wearily. Yuumei disappeared only minutes before into the room. Rogue turned and walked back to the window. _'What's taking her?'_ He shifted his weight from one foot to the other restlessly. _'How long does it take her to dress!'_ He turned and collapsed beside Zakyou on the floor. He locked his eyes on the door.

It opened soon after. Yuumei walked out in a silk button-up shirt and black jeans. She wore her boots. Rogue stood up and framed his daughter's face with his hands. "What the hell took you so long?" he snarled.

Yuumei sighed. "I was in there for three minutes."

"It was eternity, Mei."

Yuumei shrugged and glanced at the sleeping Zakyou. She sighed again and turned towards the door. "Come on, father."

* * *

YSendo: Review, and good-night. (it's 21: 30 here 9: 30 p.m.) 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Rogue pushed through the throng of young girls that swamped him as soon as he set foot inside the mall. Laughing lightly he spun around in a circle and stretched his arms above his head. "I've still got my old charm."

"The world will end before _you_ lose _your_ charm, Rogue," Yuumei mumbled. Glaring at the woman who sent lustful glances at her father, she continued to stroll past the unique stores. Rogue chuckled and walked beside her, examining the wares with grand interest. He wore a black vest with no sleeves that hugged his torso and black jeans. He had three black and one crimson strap on each of his arms. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. He wore a lazy, sensual smile. Yuumei wondered if he did it on purpose or if it's just a habit. '_If it's the latter,'_ she thought, '_then, it seems very hard to break.'_

By the time they crossed the mall and exited at the opposite end, Yuumei realized how stupid she must've been to use it as a shortcut. Rogue just laughed and continued down the street. When they reached the café, Rogue leaned back and propped up one ankle on his knee. He crossed his arms and watched Yuumei with a protectiveness she was never going to get used to. The waiter arrived with their hot chocolate and they drank it slowly.

They turned to see the commotion by the sidewalk. Shiro held Aisu's arm in a death grip, cutting off all hope of escape – and most likely Aisu's circulation. Hiei was behind them. Rogue watched Shiro drag the struggling Aisu towards the table. Hiei sat beside Yuumei and smirked at the anguish on the human's face. Resigning to the inevitable, Aisu slumped into the seat beside Rogue. Shiro sat down with a smile next to him. She looked at Rogue. "You don't visit often. Is something wrong?"

"I don't know," he replied, staring at his cup, "I was sent a letter that made me come here."

Yuumei looked up suddenly. "You didn't mention this letter."

Rogue pulled out a paper from the back pocket of his jeans and handed it to her. She opened it and scanned the contents, aware of Hiei looking over her shoulder. Hiei read carefully, "_'Rogue, _

_If I were you, I'd see to it that Yuumei is protected. Rumors are drifting, friend. They speak of great evil by the hands of Mistrz.'_

Aisu and Shiro looked at Yuumei, then at Rogue. They glanced at Hiei. Aisu said, "Mistrz? I heard the he was dead."

Rogue didn't take his eyes off Yuumei's blank face. "He's not."

Yuumei's hands shook, with anger and fear and murder. She crushed the letter and tossed it on the table. She covered her face with her hands. Hiei watched her body tremble and wondered at the reason for this show of emotion. Shiro placed her hand on Yuumei's leg in sympathy. Aisu and Rogue watched her cautiously.

Yuumei ran her hands over her hair and lowered her head. Her voice sounded hoarse. "Why," she started, then paused to draw in a shaky breath. "Why doesn't he just die?"

"Life does not go as we wish, Mei," Aisu whispered.

"I…that is I…," she stopped again to fight with her self-control. "I saw him die."

"Are you sure?" Shiro asked gently.

"YES!" Yuumei suddenly screamed, "YES! I saw the bastard die! Don't tell me I didn't because I did!"

She got to her feet; her eyes were strangely blank. Hiei watched her leave. He shook his head. _'She needs comfort. That's all there is,'_ he told himself, yet he felt an urge to know more about this 'Mistrz' person and the reason for Yuumei's emotion.

Rogue stood up as well and started in the other direction. Shiro raced to the bus stop to get home early. Aisu remembered that she had a date with a guy she met in the mall. He looked at Hiei. "Mistrz. I can't believe it," he smiled to himself. "He's alive. After all this time; he's alive!"

"Who is he?" Hiei asked as he watched Shiro trip and get back up.

Aisu watched her straighten her shirt and trip again. "He's a powerful demon from the western part of the Demon World. He's responsible from many of the organized revolts that Spirit World had to crush. Everyone's being mum about it."

"How does he know," Hiei paused for a moment, "Rogue?"

Aisu looked at him and said, "Mistrz was once like a mentor to Rogue, or so I've heard."

Hiei waited for him to continue. He snickered slightly as Shiro tripped once more. Aisu rested his chin in his hand and sighed. "Something happened. No one knows exactly what. I've heard rumors that Yuumei was involved, but nothing is proven. Yuumei won't talk about it."

"Rape? Kidnapping?" Hiei questioned warily, not really wanting the answer.

"I don't think so," Aisu said with a slight smile. "If it was that, then everyone would've been talking about it. Rogue wouldn't leave Yuumei if she was hurt by someone, without honor, that is. The strange thing is, Rogue left Mistrz alone; Mei wasn't with him."

Hiei watched the people walk past the café and then looked directly at Aisu. "A warning." It was a statement, not a question.

Aisu sighed and looked at his hand. "Yes, Mistrz was somehow interested in Yuumei. Whether it was for a mate, a whore, an ally, or a servant, I don't know. That's what everyone was saying. Jarahm, the most notorious gossip I know, says that Mistrz hurt Yuumei's pride and won a bet over something. She was called to repay the debt. Rogue found out and confronted Mistrz."

"If she lost a bet, then she would repay it. She's honorable," Hiei replied angrily. Only a truly dishonorable person would make a young girl gamble for something serious.

Aisu glared at nothing in particular. He understood Hiei's anger, he felt it himself when he first heard of Yuumei. "Rogue claimed that the bet was not fair and that Yuumei's chances of winning were hardly sizeable. Mistrz only mentioned that Yuumei agreed to the bet by herself, therefore, making it true."

There was a low ringing. Hiei stood up and took out his communicator. Koenma's child-like face appeared. "Hiei, come to my office immediately! This is a catastrophe!"

Hiei glanced at Aisu, who nodded, and left. Aisu watched him until he turned the corner. He stood up and grabbed the note. He opened it and examined the paper. He held it up to the sun. It was faint, but it was there. The small bloodstain gave it all away.

He walked towards his house, clutching the note tightly. Someone wanted Rogue here, in the Human World, but who?

Fay opened the wooden door and walked silently towards the small river, her eyes watchful. She kept her guard up as she undressed and waded out into slightly deeper water. She washed her hair out and cleaned off her body, all without interruption. When she returned to shore and dressed in her black shirt and pants, she heard a twig snap. She whirled around to face her enemy, but there was no one there. She braided her hair with skill and strained to hear another sound. She anchored the last braid with a red bead.

She walked back to the cabin and turned her head when she heard a rustling in the trees. She silently reached for the hidden dirk on her hip. She turned it in her hand and flung it at the nearest tree with deadly accuracy. A heavy body collapsed to the ground, the dirk stuck squarely in its forehead. Another, slimmer being hopped down as well. Fay concentrated on the live one. He had black eyes that glinted like cold steel. He sighed and ran his hand through his black, shoulder-length hair. "Dang, she's not going to be happy when she learns he's dead." He looked up at Fay. "He," he gestured at the body, "was her favorite _toy_."

Fay stepped back and gripped her hidden sword. "Who are you?"

The demon bowed deeply. "My name is Yin, my lady. My _friend_, here, is," he paused, "well, he _was_ Jeffery." He walked right over the body and held out his hand. He had long fingers, Fay noticed, the hands of a non-fighter. She tightened her grip on the crystal sword. "What do you want from me?"

Yin sighed and dropped his hand. "I arrived here about two weeks ago. I needed to take you somewhere, but," he frowned lightly, making him look absolutely pathetic, "you weren't here."

'_Do you blame me for not wanting to stay here?'_ she wanted to ask, but instead she said, "Leave me be. I don't want to know what you're up to. And I don't want to be involved."

Yin smiled sadly, "But you are involved."

Fay jumped to the side as Yin shot a ball of golden energy in her direction. She dodged another blast and glared at him. "I have no idea," she hopped over another blast, "what you're talking about."

Yin stopped the blasts and looked at his wrist. "I don't want you involved. I really don't, but you are involved."

"How?" Fay asked impatiently.

"Yuumei. It's Yuumei." Yin raised his eyes to hers. "It's her fault."

Fay frowned. "If you're trying to turn me against her, you won't succeed."

"I'm simply explaining why you're involved." Yin stepped towards a nearby tree. "Hanami said you knew that Yuumei escaped."

"Escaped what?!" Fay yelled.

"It's common knowledge." Yin blinked. "Yuumei was to repay an old debt. Hanami said that she didn't do it. We were asked to lure her to Mistrz again so that she can repay her debt."

"That's ridiculous." Fay slammed the door behind her and leaned against the door. Yin was still outside. He said quietly, his voice had a deadly edge to it, "I'm sorry. I have to."

Fay hugged herself as the room suddenly turned cold. She closed her eyes and collapsed to the ground as her vision clouded up with snow. She clenched her fists and tried to hold onto reality. She failed.

Rogue leaned back against the tree. He folded his hands behind his head and watched the moon as it lit the sky. He sighed and stretched his legs out in front of him. He closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift.

_A beautiful woman crossed the market and smiled at the older lady next to her. Lady Riku. Rogue watched from the darkness of an alley as the women strolled. He's been watching them for the past four days, ever since he collided with her in the park. Her laughter and smile was now imprinted in his mind. He snuck around to stand by a long row of carefully arranged wild roses. He plucked one from the vase and smelled it, wondering if Lady Riku liked wild roses. He turned away to talk to the merchant as the ladies passed by him. He paid for the single rose and left to stealthily stalk his prey._

_He loved to sit in the tree outside her window and watch her dress, and undress. He preferred the latter. She was so graceful and light. Her black hair, as he discovered recently, reached her waist. He watched the reflection of her violet eyes in the mirror as she brushed out the long, silky hair and the maid braided it for the night. He wondered if he would ever muster the courage to knock on that glass window and send some time with her. Alone._

_His time came when Riku, who just returned from a week at her uncle's home in the forest, was discovered to have contracted the plague that swept the country. He watched, painfully, as she tossed and turned restlessly in her large bed. He saw her skin turn pale and thin. He knew there was no cure. Everyone wore black, but she wasn't dead. Rogue was suddenly aware of the whispers that swept through the town. 'She was doomed,' many claimed. _

_One particular night, Riku had a high fever. The illness, mixed with the plague, was too much for her body to handle. The medic caught Rogue walking through the courtyard and asked for assistance with the lady. When he entered the room, Rogue realized that she looked worse for the door than she did from his tree. There were dark circles under her violet eyes. Her wonderful hair was tangled and dirty. The medic ushered him in and gave various instructions._

_"Wipe her forehead. Do something to keep the hair from her eyes. Wash this filth off her skin so that I can see!"_

_Rogue tied back Riku's hair and gently ran his fingers through its length. She winced as one finger caught on a knot. He apologized softly and grabbed a brush. Her maid brought clean towels and a bucket of water into the room. She washed the grime off her mistress's skin and stood back to wait for more instructions. Rogue brushed out Riku's hair and sang a song he learned many years before. Riku rested her head on his shoulder and, without thinking, laid her hand on his leg. Rogue shivered at the rush of pleasure that swam through his body. _

_The medic did what he could and was able to break the fever. He told Rogue to remain by her side and make sure she was hydrated. Rogue tried to follow his instructions, but it was difficult with Riku lying beside him. Her leg moved frequently and brushed against his outstretched legs. He sat against the headboard and watched her carefully. Sometime during the night, Riku's head settled in Rogue's lap and her hand rested on his knee. It was a longest night in Rogue's life. _

_Riku woke up around noon. She didn't seem to care that there was a man she didn't know in her bed. He was fully-clothed after all. She started to tap her fingers against his knee and felt him growl lightly. She turned her head and nuzzled his folded arms. He opened his eyes and stared at her for a long time. He left when the maid came in._

Rogue smiled at the memories and opened his eyes to stare at the stars. After Riku healed, the two were together much more. He found her family tree once when he was in the library. He decided that she was the one who could help strengthen Rogue's future generations. It didn't take long for him to seduce her. He shook his head and thought about Yuumei's tricky position.

Her body was not powerful enough to handle Rogue's power. He has to wait at least another five years before she's even remotely able to have his power, much less use it. He trained her to be able to survive and train on her own. He watched over her later, too, when Mistrz and his accursed bet came to light. Yuumei made the right choice, he thought begrudgingly.

He frowned when he thought of Takai. The child was hopeless. He had everything money, family, land, and power. He would be too soft to accept his father's power. Rogue remembered Yuumei when, once, she ran to him and cried into his chest. She said that Takai was angry at her. Rogue closed his eyes. The boy hated his father dearly.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

This is the before last of the pre-written chapters I have...I've been looking over my old stuff and found it. sorry for anyone who likes this story about the sudden stop, "Fay" doesn't associate with me anymore so I really don't have much of a drive to continue this.

P.S. to new writers. Keep your first stories simple, and not as complex as I made this one. I'm sorry. I'm working right now on a story I planned even before this.

-YSendo

I might continue, I dunno. (Updated profile, new story (check it out))

Chapter 10

Hiei silenced the two idiots standing next to him with a glare. Koenma's office was in disarray, as always. Kurama was looking over a small packet of papers while Koenma grabbed his hat and started to shake his head. "No, no! This can't be happening! It's too much, I swear."

Kurama looked up from the papers. "You say that you just now noticed she's gone?"

Hiei snorted and scowled at Koenma. "How can you not realize that someone under high security was gone?" he asked dangerously.

Yusuke punched his fist into the wall. "Damn it, Koenma! We don't have time for this!"

Kuwabara watched the small ruler hop onto his desk and start pacing. "I agree with the shrimp. For once" he added.

Hiei glanced at the human and nodded barely. Yusuke looked surprised. "Why Kuwabara, this is amazing! You agree with Three-Eyes!"

Kuwabara ignored him. "This Fay person was being constantly watched. How did she get away?"

Yusuke watched Kuwabara carefully. "Why did you agree with Hiei, anyway?"

Kuwabara took out a picture of Yukina and shoved it in Yusuke's face. "Because if this demon is on the loose, Yukina might be in danger!"

Hiei sweat-dropped. So much for hoping the buffoon has learned to use whatever brains he had. He turned to Koenma. "So, you want us to find her."

Koenma nodded. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble."

Yusuke yelled at Koenma, "WE'VE GOT ENOUGH TO DO ALREADY!"

Kurama threw down the packet and stepped between Yusuke and Koenma. "Yusuke is right. We have to look after Yuumei and Rei already. We still don't have any evidence of what she's doing here."

Koenma looked at everyone in turn. He grabbed his remote and pressed a button. The screen flickered on. "Yuumei doesn't need protection. And this shouldn't take too long."

A picture of a girl with silver eyes and long hair of various shades of blue appeared on the screen. She wore a necklace with a pendant shaped like a keyhole. She looked familiar, although Kurama couldn't place it. She wore a blue, long-sleeved shirt and blue jogging pants. Yusuke said eerily, "I think I saw her somewhere before."

Hiei narrowed his eyes at the picture and Kuwabara glanced uneasily at the girl. Koenma fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair.

"It's Rei," Hiei and Kuwabara said at the same moment. Kurama now saw the resemblance and looked at Koenma with wide eyes. "Why was she watched?"

Koenma glanced at him. "At first, we realized that she was powerful and could be of great use to us, but she refused to cooperate. She murdered a dozen of Spirit World's officers before we were able to overpower her. She was forced to stay in a remote part of the Human World so that we can reach her if the need arises."

Yusuke closed his eyes. He said calmly, "How does she know Yuumei then?"

Botan rushed through the door. "Koenma, sir, I just realized that Fay is Eirei, or Eirei is Fay. Oh, this is confusing."

Koenma glared at her. "We know that already, Botan."

"Oh," Botan huffed. She put her hands on her hips. "Then why on earth did you ask me to locate her?"

"Because when I asked you to find her, I didn't know who she was!"

Botan smiled. "Okay, sir. I forgive you."

Koenma's pulse throbbed with anger. He breathed deeply and counted to ten. Then he said, "If I remember correctly, you said that Yuumei introduced Eirei, or Fay. She knew who Fay was."

Botan frowned and tapped her foot repeatedly, irritating Hiei. "So, is Yuumei also dangerous?"

"According to her file, no," Koenma stated calmly, "she never did anything outrageous to capture our attention."

"So she's weak?" Yusuke asked.

"Not necessarily," Kurama mumbled. "She could be powerful."

Kuwabara looked up from his picture of Yukina. "What's going on?"

Hiei lost his patience. He reached for the picture. "Give me that," he ordered. Kuwabara cowered and handed him the picture meekly. Hiei tore it in half, wincing slightly. He returned the two halves to Kuwabara. "Now, pay attention, fool. Eirei is not who she claims to be. Yuumei knows. We believe that she may have the answers we seek."

Kuwabara blinked and stuffed the picture in his pocket. "Then what are we waiting for?"

Botan, Yusuke and Koenma immediately said, "You."

Kuwabara already ran out the door, however, with Hiei not far in front. Kurama chased after them. Yusuke sprinted. "Wait for me guys!"

Botan and Koenma sweat-dropped. The glanced at each other and mumbled something about being busy. Botan went to keep an eye on Keiko and Yukina. Koenma grabbed another paper and stamped it, barely looking at the title.

Hiei glanced at Kuwabara. "Fool."

Kuwabara turned on him. "What do you want, Shrimp?! And I'm not a fool."

Hiei's eyes narrowed. "Quiet." Kuwabara closed his mouth. "Good. Now, can you sense the girl?"

Kuwabara looked around, then, turned back to Hiei. "Yeah, she's in the forest."

Hiei nodded and took off. Kuwabara ran after him, cursing slightly. "SHRIMP! I DON'T HAVE SUPER SPEED!"

Hiei ignored him. Kuwabara gave up. He told Kurama that it was not a good idea to put him and the shrimp together.

"Fool, stop," came the response from his left. Kuwabara jumped. "HEY SHRIMP-."

Hiei slammed his hand over the human's mouth and grimaced at the thought of touching the buffoon. He lowered his voice. "Not a sound, hear?"

Kuwabara nodded dumbly. Hiei quickly removed his hand and wiped it on a handkerchief Kurama gave him a few months ago for something called 'Christmas.' He turned to the left and crouched against the bushes. Kuwabara followed suit. He now realized that someone was fighting in the clearing beyond the bushes. He squinted to see. The burgundy hair was easy to recognize. It was Yuumei, with some man opposite her. He looked quite young with dark hair and a black outfit. Both opponents wielded a sword. Hiei shifted his weight to his other foot and, accidentally, bumped his shoulder against Kuwabara's elbow. The two glared at each other for a second before returning to the fight.

Yuumei lunged at Rogue again, this time trying for his side. He blocked quickly and attempted to strike her legs. She jumped back. Rogue yelled, "No! You're giving you're opponent time to gain back his strength."

Yuumei nodded and charged forward once more. She swung for his head, remembering to tilt the sword so that it quickly returned to her side. She was barely able to block the attack on her stomach. Rogue nodded and jumped further towards her, locking their swords and forcing them up. Since he was taller, the move held Yuumei at a disadvantage. The two were now only inches from the other. Yuumei had to think of something fast. She kicked out at his groin. Rogue jumped back, fast. He was able to spare himself a lot of pain. He cocked a brow. "Now, I don't think we need to go _that_ far."

Yuumei smirked slightly. "You never know."

Rogue attacked her again. He swung his sword at Yuumei's blade repeatedly. He was trying to either break her hold on it or break the sword itself. She waited until Rogue brought his sword back to attack; then, she moved. Sidestepping the falling blade, she called out to Fukigen in her mind. He responded immediately.

Yuumei's eyes lightened until they were a pure silver color. Her wings sprouted from her back as Fukigen fused with his charge. Yuumei's feet shifted and turned into, what resembled, lizard's feet, complete with claws. She flew up into the air and spoke. "You are skilled, but I have more experience in battle." Her voice was strangely doubled. Fukigen's voice was heard clearly, with Yuumei's natural voice being an echo. It was eerie. Kuwabara shuddered and leaned towards Hiei. "What is going on?" he asked quietly.

Hiei didn't take his eyes off the fight. "Probably Yuumei's true form."

"Wow."

Yuumei suddenly whirled around and a ball of milky-white energy gathered in front of her. She narrowed her eyes at the bushes. She threw out her hand towards them and the ball of burning energy rushed after. Hiei grabbed Kuwabara by the collar and dashed to the side. He was panting when he stopped on the other side of the clearing. He sat down and, still panting, lowered his head. "You need to lose weight, fool," he looked up, "or else you'll never grow faster."

Kuwabara dusted off his pants and looked at Hiei. "Listen, Shrimp, I'm not fat, I'm just one hundred percent muscle!"

Hiei looked back at the ground. "And zero percent brains."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

A shadow fell over Hiei. He looked up at Yuumei, who was back to normal. Beside her stood the man she was fighting with. He watched Kuwabara with amusement. "Human, isn't he?"

"Yes, and I'll kick your demon butt to the moon!" he exclaimed. The man raised a brow. Kuwabara charged at him and raised his fist. "FOR YUKINA!"

Rogue barely moved, but Kuwabara ended up on his back behind the demon. Yuumei sighed. "Let me introduce my father, Rogue."

Hiei looked at Rogue and nodded, having already met him. Kuwabara's jaw dropped. He looked between the two and then grinned broadly. "I can see the resemblance."

"Thank you," Rogue replied honestly. He loved knowing that such a skilled fighter as Yuumei is his daughter. Of course, _he_ trained her to be the best.

Yuumei glared at her father lightly before turning to Hiei. "What are you doing here?" She sighed. She said as Rogue started to tell Kuwabara about all his accomplishments over the years, "You and Dad are the same in one area. You have bloated egos."

Hiei stood up and tugged his cloak back into position. It twisted slightly when he was running. "We need to ask you about Fay."

"Fay," she said blankly. She wondered how they knew. _'Looks like Koenma finally decided to see if she knew anything about what's going on.'_

Hiei nodded, narrowing his eyes. Yuumei sighed. "She's gone."

"I can understand that," he spat. "How do you know her?"

Yuumei glared at his rudeness. "We met long before she killed those idiots."

"How?"

"That is none of your concern, Hiei."

Hiei nodded. Knowing how they met wouldn't really help anyway. "Why are you here, with her?"

"I'm researching humans. She's taking a vacation."

Hiei sweat-dropped and asked, "A vacation. From what?"

Yuumei shrugged. "She was bored."

Hiei looked slightly puzzled. Yuumei laughed and flicked his nose. Hiei growled and turned his head away. He looked thoughtful. Yuumei tugged on his ear. He yanked his head back and turned the other direction. Yuumei smiled slyly. She tickled his neck and jumped back as he moved to shove her away. She turned to Rogue and Kuwabara and sighed.

"…It was not beyond my skill, so it decided to try," Rogue was saying. "I never knew that the summer was so intense, however. I used to snow and cold, you know, growing up in the North and all that. I was overcome by the heat. I swear I will never go to a desert again…"

Kuwabara was watching him like a kid, listening and imagining the wonderful things a good storyteller would've said. Yuumei sighed and tapped Rogue's shoulder. He paused while talking about finding a place to stay during the night. "Yes, Yuumei?"

"We're leaving now."

"Darn, I was enjoying myself," Rogue muttered as he trailed after his daughter. Kuwabara shook his head, then remembered. "HEY! We forgot to ask-."

Hiei grabbed the back of his shirt and tugged harshly. "I already asked."

"Oh. Hey, be careful! This is my favorite outfit!" Kuwabara yelled when Hiei tugged harder on the material. "Okay, okay. I'm coming. Jeez, Hiei, you don't have to whine!"

"I'm not whining," Hiei replied simply. The two started towards Kuwabara's apartment. After a couple of seconds of walking, Kuwabara pounced on Hiei, who wisely moved aside. He started to run, slower than usual so that the idiot could see him. Kuwabara chased after him, yelling profanities.

Yusuke jumped off the couch as the door was suddenly flung open and Hiei charged past him to the window. Kuwabara barged in a minute later. Hiei was breathing quickly, from adrenaline rather than exhaustion. Kuwabara huffed and sprawled on the sofa beside Kurama. Yusuke sat down with a cocky grin plastered on his face. "So, what have you two been up to?"

Kurama said softly, "Yusuke and I talked to Yuumei's friends. Shiro denied the fact that Eirei is Fay, Aisu was silent, and Zakyou shut the door in our faces."

Kuwabara told the pair about finding Yuumei and the fight. Hiei explained, in very few words, what Yuumei said to him. After they were finished, there was a moment of silence. Yusuke stretched. "So," he started, "Hiei's got a girlfriend?"

All chaos broke out. Shizuru walked into the room and crossed her arms. The throw pillows were all over, the couch was turned on its side, Kuwabara was hiding under the coffee table, and she glimpsed Kurama as he edged to the door. Hiei, meanwhile, was trying to open the window with one hand, while holding Yusuke with the other. Shizuru moved towards him. "Here, let me help."

With the window open, Hiei promptly threw Yusuke outside. There was a crash and a lot of cursing. Hiei zipped away somewhere. Kuwabara sighed. "Urameshi had it coming."


End file.
